Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 583: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the submissions he has received from Kildare County Council in relation to the provision of a new branch library in Kildare Town; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the local branch library is temporarily located in a business campus at a considerable distance from the town centre and that a newly built facility intended for library use stands vacant in the town centre for more than two years; his views therefore on the level of library service available to the rapidly growing population of Kildare Town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24765/07]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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In 2006, a request for Approval-in-Principle for a revised library project in Kildare was received in the Department. It was proposed by the library authority that this project be undertaken as a leasing arrangement with a private developer. For such an arrangement to be considered for sanction, however, the proposal must represent the best value for money taking all options into account. The proposal from Kildare County Council was examined by inspectors in the Department who concluded that the proposed leasing arrangements did not represent value for money when compared with the option of building or acquiring a facility which would remain in the ownership of the local authority.

I am aware that the library in Kildare Town is currently operating from a Business Park and the Department remains open to considering assisting the library authority with any reasonable project to improve the library service in Kildare town.

The Department has provided funding of almost €1 million to Kildare County Council for a Library Headquarters in Newbridge, which is located 5 miles from Kildare Town. In addition, the Department has recently awarded €200,000 to Kildare County Council for a replacement Mobile Library and a replacement Delivery Van for the library service which will allow it to augment service to all areas of the county, including Kildare town.