Vol. 411 No. 4
6 Mr. McCartan asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the present funding and staffing of the National Library, with specific reference to the desirability, of restoring public access to all the collections therein from 10.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. five days per week and on Saturday morning; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The National Library has a staff complement of 57.
The library is funded by my Department from various sub-heads and also from moneys allocated to my Department from the national lottery. The level of Exchequer funding for the library in 1991 is £1,388,000 and this money is used to pay the running costs of the library including £220,000 for the purchase of books and manuscripts and for conservation.
In addition, the Office of Public Works are currently undertaking major construction works in the National Library and it is estimated that over £400,000 will be spent by them during 1991.
The library is open six days a week, including three late-night openings and Saturday morning. It is not intended to extend the opening hours of the library from their present level in the foreseeable future because of the considerable extra cost involved. I am satisfied that, within the level of resources available at this time of constraint on the public finances, the National Library is providing an excellent service to the public. The present opening hours were arrived at following a survey of the requirements of the library's readers over a period of months and are considered to be the most equitable arrangements possible under present conditions of financial restraint.
I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. While I accept the proposition that what currently pertains may be the most equitable, would he agree that given the national importance of the library to research and other scholarly work, it certainly is not most desirable? Will the Taoiseach at least declare as an objective, at the earliest possible opportunity, that they should be open for the longest possible hours during the week to facilitate particularly those involved in research who are otherwise gainfully employed?
There are two things. One is the financial constraints. If we did not have those we would try to keep the library open for much longer periods. In addition there is the need for staff to attend to other duties which they cannot do when the library is open.
I understand the Taoiseach to suggest that there is a fixed sum of £220,000 which is used for the purchase of new books and also for conservation. Would the Taoiseach not consider that there should be a separate allocation for conservation apart from that for purchase in view of the fact that these are two entirely separate functions and that the need for conservation could be quite substantial in a particular year thereby entirely preventing any purchase in that year? Would it not be better to have two separate subheads rather than a single one?
Our duty is to provide the money and it is up to the very competent library authorities to decide what way they want to allocate it. I would remind the Deputy that in my reply I mentioned that we were spending £400,000 this year through the Office of Public Works on construction works. I would hope that soon we will be able to get away from that as all the necessary reconstruction work will have been carried out. Then we might be able to look at the situation again.
May I ask the Taoiseach to indicate how soon he envisages the library will be in a position to extend its hours to faciliate those people whom I believe are being very severely disadvantaged at present by the restricted hours?
I could not agree that anybody is being severely disadvantaged. That is not my information, and that is not what the survey disclosed. I could not say when it is likely the situation can be improved.
