Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Deputy's outlining of the broader value of libraries, particularly in areas that have been neglected over time. Parts of Mahon in Cork certainly fit that bill. I am familiar with it. I am advised that Cork City Council did not submit an application through the libraries capital programme 2023-27 for funding for the Blackrock-Mahon project as discussions regarding a potential site had not been concluded before the submission date of June 2023. As discussions on a site for the proposed library have now been concluded and a site has been secured, Cork City Council submitted a stage 1 application to my Department on 4 October. The purpose of the application is to enable an assessment of compliance of the proposal with the library benchmarks and standards, which seek to secure a high standard of infrastructure and service development across the service. It is important to say that this does not represent an actual application for funding to my Department as yet.

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