Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming in. Carlow library has tremendous and ambitious plans, plans that are hugely curtailed because of funding. Carlow library is housed in Carlow's old Presentation school building. The regeneration project which is in the capital four stage approved process received stage three approval in August 2022, having met and adequately responded to all the Department of Rural and Community Development's queries and recommendations. The project is now shovel-ready and stage four of the approval process is construction and subject to funding. The project is ready to go to tender. As usual, the reason I am raising this matter is to find out where we are at with that funding. My understanding is that there has been a commitment that they will receive the funding.

The Presentation school building houses the main branch library, county archives and the county museum, Carlow tourist office, the county heritage services and, when finished, will also host the county council's arts service. The building is in every sense a cultural and learning hub for the community. The Presentation school buildings are at the centre of the public realm in Carlow town and represents the main linkage from Tullow Street to the cultural quarter, which includes Carlow Cathedral, Carlow College and VISUAL. It is in all senses at the heart of the county capital.

With two third level institutions, including the new South East Technological University, of which we are very proud, we are delighted to say that we now have thousands of students coming to Carlow. A quality public library with adequate study facilities, technological infrastructure and space to house the library collections is essential.

To meet the requirements of the upcoming new national library strategy, Carlow will require a state-of-the-art facility to adequately deliver on its recommendations. The case is that the existing library footprint is no longer adequate for the population it services. It is way too small. The project's overall size of the new library and archive services is about 1,000 m2. It is not really accessible. The most recent quantity surveyor's report costed the project at €12.1 million with €1.7 billion allocated to protect the existing building. I urge the Minister of State to consider these points and support Carlow's bid for a new extension to the library building. What is the status of this project with the Department of Rural and Community Development?

I know many libraries have been built around the country. I understand that one is nearly ready to open and the nearest neighbouring town, Portlaoise. It has made considerable progress. We in Carlow are ready to go. Because Carlow is now honoured to be a university town, we need the library. We need new facilities because we need to ensure that we look after the people who want to use it. At the moment it is way too small is not really suitable for our needs.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of Carlow town library. I am taking this question on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys.

While the provision of library services, including the provision of buildings, is primarily a matter for local authorities in their capacity as library authorities under the Local Government Act 2001, the Department of Rural and Community Development has overall policy responsibility for the provision of public library services in Ireland and is responsible for the development of public library strategies. Additionally, that Department provides grant funding to library authorities on an annual basis including funding towards the costs of new and refurbished libraries, under the libraries capital programme.

Carlow County Council submitted an application to the Department in August 2020 for funding for the redevelopment of the Presentation buildings to include a new public library, culture, civic and learning space. The Department's libraries capital programme was fully allocated at that time and Carlow County Council was advised to consider making an application for funding under the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, which is administered by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Carlow County Council was also requested to simultaneously progress the project through the Department of Rural and Community Development's four-stage capital management process. This is standard practice for all new library projects, irrespective of their source funding and including URDF-funded library projects, to ensure that they are technically assessed and comply with the public spending code and the capital works management framework as well as meeting the current benchmarks and standards for public libraries.

The Department of Rural and Community Development has been liaising with Carlow County Council in progressing the Presentation building regeneration project through the four-stage capital management process. The Department issued a stage 3 approval letter on 17 August 2022 that authorises the council to proceed to tender. The letter also advised the council to ensure that funding had been confirmed for the project in advance of proceeding to tender.

The Department has been engaging with the council, but it is a matter for the council to source the funding. Unfortunately, it is not possible at this stage to make any commitment on the next library capital programme. We do not have confirmation of the direction of travel on that programme quite yet, but we hope to have it soon.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I express my disappointment. It is unacceptable. We were told to approach the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under the URDF which I did. At meetings with that Department's officials, I was told that this project does not fall under their Department. This is passing the buck from one Department to another and is unacceptable. Carlow County Council needs a commitment for this particular building. The fact that no one knows where the money is coming from is a major issue. I can only express my absolute disappointment today with the Minister of State's answer. For months and months, I have been told to go to the Department of Rural and Community Development and then the other Department. Today I am none the wiser as to which Department has responsibility for the library. I ask the Minister of State to go back to the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. I have spoken to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, on several occasions and have been told it is not his Department. I ask the Minister of State to confirm to me in writing the funding structure and which Department the library falls under.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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The Deputy has made a good case for the works needed in Carlow library. Responsibility for the capital works for libraries does not necessarily fall under one particular Department. As I said earlier, local authorities are the primary body with responsibility for them. The libraries capital programme was fully allocated when Carlow County Council applied. The current programme concludes this year and preparatory works will shortly commence on a successor programme for the following five-year period. There is a decision to be made on that and I cannot share with the Deputy much more information than I have been given on that. We will prepare another capital programme. I believe the referral to the URDF was made in good faith but, understandably, the URDF has refocused its work on housing.