Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)

I thank the Deputy for his continuing support for our national library programme. When we served together in the Seanad, he was a strong advocate for library services. The Minister, Deputy Calleary, and I, as Minister of State with responsibility for libraries, are investing in our library services. They are a key priority for both of us and for the Department and that is reflected in the public library strategy. It is an ambitious, forward-looking strategy and one of its key commitments is the delivery of a libraries capital programme. To that end, it is important for Members to bear in mind that the provision of library services is a matter for local authorities primarily.

Within that capacity, under the Local Government Act, we are funding a capital programme this year over a four-year window from 2023 to 2027 that amounts to €22.6 million. Eleven state-of-the-art library projects across the country are being commenced and a further €2.6 million is being invested in 12 next generation mobile library services, including in two new libraries in the Deputy's county of Kildare, in Clane and Newbridge. In addition to this, investment of over €28 million was approved in May of this year under the rural regeneration and development fund for three projects including the provision of new library facilities. Our Department also provides funding annually of over €740,000 as a contribution to support local authorities in leasing buildings for the provision of public library services. In addition, €1.3 million was approved by our Department in November 2023 for the provision of new ICT equipment in public libraries.

Over the past four years, a sum of €40 million has been allocated by the libraries unit in our Department for public libraries across three funding streams, namely, capital projects, current expenditure and the Dormant Accounts Fund. The €2.25 million allocated from the Dormant Accounts Fund has provided, for example, sensory equipment and equipment to support physically impaired library users for libraries in every county. I will provide the Deputy with information detailing the expenditure county by county in tabular form. In the county of Kildare, which Deputy Wall represents so well, a sum of €5.5 million has been allocated during that four-year window.

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