Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 16 Oct 1991

Vol. 411 No. 1

Written Answers. - University Libraries.

Tomás MacGiolla

Question:

682 Tomás Mac Giolla asked the Minister for Education if she will make a statement on the extension of legal provision for copyright deposits of Irish publications to include the newly established University of Limerick and City of Dublin University; if she can quantify the annual subsidy to university libraries provided by Irish publishers; and her views on whether the existing legislation is compatible with EC practices generally with regard to the legal obligation on publishers to deposit a specified number of copies.

Minister for Education (Mrs. O'Rourke)

The University of Limerick and Dublin City University Acts of 1989 amended Section 56 of the Copyright Act, 1963 so that the libraries of the new universities become depository libraries for Irish publications. This was done in order to regularise the situation and to ensure that the libraries of all the universities in the State would be included in the copyright legislation.

It would be difficult in the circumstances to view this legal requirement in terms of a subsidy provided by Irish publishers to university libraries and in any event there is no data readily available to my Department which would enable it to make a quantification as requested by the Deputy.

The Minister for Industry and Commerce, however, is the Minister with responsibility for copyright legislation and, accordingly, questions as to whether the existing legislation here is compatible with practices in other EC member states are appropriate to that Minister.