Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 548: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce legislation to abolish the Library Council and create a Library Development Unit under the aegis of the Local Government Management Agency; when he expects this legislation to be passed; what will happen to the positions held by representatives of the Association of County and City Councils, Local Authorities Members' Association and the Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland on the current council; the public representation that he expects will be on the new Library Development Unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26290/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2012 was published on 9 May 2012 and was passed by Dáil Eireann on Thursday 24 May 2012. The Bill is scheduled to be debated by Seanad Eireann on Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 June 2012.

The Bill is required, inter alia, to facilitate my Department's agency rationalisation programme from 21 agencies/bodies to 11. This is in keeping with the Government's Public Sector Reform Plan announced on 17 November, 2011. In this regard, Part 3 of the Bill provides for the dissolution of An Chomhairle Leabharlanna.

It is intended that An Chomhairle Leabharlanna will be dissolved and any key residual functions will be subsumed into the newly established Local Government Management Agency.

Local authority members are represented on the Board of An Chomhairle and there has traditionally been input from members as well as a wide range of stakeholders to An Chomhairle.

My Department, in the context of the transfer of functions from An Chomhairle Leabharlanna to the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), is considering, in consultation with the Board of the LGMA, the appropriate mechanism for the views of members' and other stakeholders' on library matters, to be facilitated under the new operation.