Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The National Library of Ireland appears to be in an impossible position and its resources seem to be stretched to the point where it has found it necessary to bring in outside experts on occasion. The overall figure for the cuts it has been obliged to absorb is somewhere in the region of 40%. It appears that a very low priority is being afforded to certain aspects of our cultural heritage. The National Library of Ireland and the National Archives of Ireland appear to be in the most serious of difficulties. Less than 100 years ago the Public Record Office of Ireland was set on fire and 700 years worth of records were lost. Will people 100 years from now ask questions about the point when the holdings of the National Library of Ireland came under threat? There is a serious possibility that irreparable damage is being done. More needs to be done as a matter of urgency.

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