asked the Minister for the Environment if he will give approval to Kerry County Council for a loan to erect a library at Ballybunion, County Kerry.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ballybunion (Kerry) Library.
9.
Kerry County Council's application for sanction to raise a loan for this project will be considered along with the other applications on hand. I should mention that in the last few years library developments in Kerry have included headquarters and the branch at Tralee, £971,000; the branch at Killarney, £260,000; the branch at Caherciveen, £24,500; refurbishment of the Dingle branch, £50,000; mobile libraries, £15,500; and books, £40,000.
Kerry County Council have been waiting a long time for permission for a loan to erect a library in Ballybunion. I would like an assurance from the Minister that this permission will be coming from his Department as soon as possible.
I am aware that at present Ballybunion is served by a mobile library which the Deputy would probably not regard as ideal. From the details I have given in my reply it is worth noting that over the last five years £1.09 million of library capital have been spent in County Kerry. That represents one-eighth of the total allocation for libraries for the entire country. The population of County Kerry represents 3.6 of the whole country, less than one-twenty-fifth, yet one eighth of the library spending has been devoted to County Kerry. By any stretch of the imagination this would have to be described as generous.
The Minister will appreciate that Ballybunion is a very important town, especially in summer when the population is greatly increased by tourists, and the library is very essential for the town. I would like the Minister to give an assurance that Kerry County Council will be given permission for that loan.
I will bear it in mind together with the other applications that have been made. The Deputy said the application was with the Department for a considerable period, but it has been with the Department for a little over six months. When one takes into account the spending on library services in Kerry over the last few years, I do not believe that is unreasonable. The total population of Ballybunion is 1,300 and the mobile library carries a stock of 3,000 books to Ballybunion every week.