John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Minister's answer, particularly insofar as it relates to the strategy outlined in Our Public Libraries 2022: Inspiring, Connecting and Empowering Communities, to which she referred. Libraries are closed now, however. I know she is a very keen supporter of libraries. I do not think there is a public representative who is not. The library has always been one of our favourite community hubs. The view of communities, however, is that local retail stores and supermarkets are open and people are stacking shelves in them and customers are going into them in large numbers. There are never large numbers in libraries, a fact which should be taken into account in anticipation of any future lockdown, semi-lockdown or other measures that may have to be taken. Libraries play a critical role. The Minister knows that many people sometimes cannot afford to buy a daily newspaper. They call into the local library to read their daily newspaper and for the opportunity to interact with other people. They were denied that during the previous lockdown. It was a sacrifice many of them made. What is the Minister's thinking in this regard? When we come out of this, hopefully on 1 December, and if we ever have to restrict movement again, will libraries be pinpointed as one of those public places where we can be a little more flexible and a little more agile in enabling public access?

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