andMr. J. O'Leary asked the Minister for Health if he will make a grant available to library committees to provide hospitals and homes with a library service.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hospital Library Service.
6.
Mr. McEllistrim
An annual grant is paid from the Hospitals Trust Fund to the Hospital Library Council to enable them to provide books for patients in voluntary hospitals, convalescent homes and homes for physically and mentally handicapped children. Health boards have power to provide reading material in their own hospitals, but there are no funds at my disposal to pay grants to library committees.
Is the Minister aware that the Hospital Library Council is going out of service?
I am aware of that.
In view of that would the Minister make grants available to county library committees equivalent to the benefit these committees received from the Hospital Library Council?
I can see a case for the consideration of the whole scheme because it seems a little lopsided in that health board hospitals have not a library service available to them. It is true that the Hospital Library Council is going out of existence. I asked An Comhairle Leabharlainne, the statutory body for advising on public libraries, to carry out an evaluation. They submitted a report on 22nd May containing a recommendation that as soon as possible a decision in principle be taken by the Department of Health, in association with the health boards, that the public library authorities be requested to provide a service to patients in all hospitals, the financing of these services to be worked out between the three parties. That will be done and I hope, as a result, all hospitals will be covered by this service with the co-operation of the Department of Health, the health boards and An Comhairle Leabharlainne.
In the meantime would the Minister encourage health boards to give grants?
I can encourage them to give grants but I have no money to give them to pay out. It would be a matter for each health board.
The Minister might make a few bob at Galway races.