Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)
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909. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development whether his Department will accept any applications from councils for new library projects for capital expenditure, other than what is already committed to projects; and to outline which projects have committed funding. [14167/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The provision of library services including new library buildings is primarily a matter for Local Authorities in their capacity as library authorities under the Local Government Act 2001. Notwithstanding this, in April 2024, I announced the new Libraries Capital Programme for the period 2023-2027, which will invest €22.6m in 11 state-of-the-art infrastructure projects and a further €2.6m in 12 next generation mobile library vehicles. As a result, the Libraries Capital Programme 2023-2027 is now fully committed and there is no scope to accept any applications from councils for new library projects.

My Department is also investing significantly in the development of libraries, through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. In May 2024, Category 1 Rural Regeneration Development Funding of €164m was announced, to support 30 regeneration projects in our rural towns and villages. This funding included approval of over €28m for the provision of three new library facilities in Ballyhaunis, Kingscourt and Edenderry. An amount of €100.8m of Rural Regeneration Development Funding has been approved, to date, for the development and delivery of projects that include library facilities across rural Ireland.

A list of projects that have been approved funding under the Libraries Capital Programme is set out at the link below and is available at this webpage: www.gov.ie/en/collection/d9b5a-libraries-development-funding/

A list of projects that have been approved funding under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund is available at this webpage: www.gov.ie/en/publication/7be140-test/