Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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11. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development for an update on her Department's support for community libraries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20570/24]

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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I ask the Minister for her response.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Investing in our library service is a key priority for me, as Minister, and this is reflected in the new public library strategy, The Library Is the Place, which I launched in July last year. The strategy recognises that public libraries are at the heart of our communities. My Department is supporting this by providing a wide range of funding for library buildings, mobile library vehicles and ICT equipment. Last month, I announced a new libraries capital programme, which will see a major investment of €22.6 million in 11 state-of-the-art infrastructure projects and a further €2.6 million in 12 next generation mobile library vehicles. Included in that €22.6 million was €3 million for a new library in Swords, County Dublin. This is the successor to the previous libraries capital programme, which invested approximately €29 million and supported 17 infrastructure projects from 2016 to 2022. This is in addition to investing in the My Open Library service, a small-scale capital works programme and mobile libraries. My Department’s rural regeneration development fund has also provided funding of €60.5 million to develop and deliver library projects across rural Ireland. Last November, I announced funding of €1.3 million for the provision of new ICT equipment in public libraries. This investment in 1,685 devices, including PCs, laptops and Apple devices, supports the public library strategy commitment to provide up-to-date ICT infrastructure which makes our public libraries more accessible and digitally inclusive. In July 2022, I announced funding of more than €3.1 million to support the provision of the My Open Library service in 17 new branches and the upgrade of the service in 29 existing branches.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister. Since my beginnings in politics in 2004, I have been incredibly proud to support improving our libraries across Fingal. One thing I was most proud of when I served as mayor in 2007 was the reopening of both Malahide and Garristown libraries. The library in Garristown is a wonderful facility with a fantastic history.

The Minister has been very consistent in investment across Fingal, as she rightly mentioned. A huge wonderful project is being delivered in Swords and a project is being delivered in Donabate among others. It goes to show that where a little money is spent, it can have such a positive benefit for communities that in 2024, when everyone is going digital and looking at doing studies and reading online on a computer screen, our libraries are still thriving. That is a fantastic testament to the Minister's Department and to local authorities throughout the country. I take the opportunity in the seconds I have left to compliment the Ministers, Deputies Humphreys and Darragh O'Brien, on the work being done. It is something we can all be very proud of.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I love libraries. They are wonderful places and do fantastic work. They are hives of activity for all the community. Older people learn computer skills. There are language classes for people who are looking to learn a new language. There are book clubs, which are a great way to meet people. A lot is happening in our libraries. We have 330 libraries across the country. They come in different shapes and sizes and my Department is supporting them through a number of strands including the libraries capital programme and the rural regeneration and development fund. Both of those together have invested €86 million in our libraries in recent years.

I was delighted to open the new Mayfair library in Kilkenny only two weeks ago. I turned the sod on a new library in Thomastown the same day and on Friday I will open a new library at the Monaghan Peace Campus in Monaghan town. I am delighted to do so. Last year, I opened new libraries in Trim, Virginia, Castleblayney, Portlaoise and Kinsale and they are all major capital projects. This Government is investing in our communities and libraries. They have become focal points in our towns. It is a great investment of money.