I am glad to be able to raise on the Adjournment the issue of the provision of a public library in Lucan, County Dublin. Lucan is an old village, located at the confluence of the Liffey and Griffeen rivers. Weirs and mills have been documented at the location since the 14th century and in the 18th and 19th centuries there was substantial industrial development in the course of the first industrial revolution. The area also became famous as a spa resort.
In recent years, as the Minister of State will be aware, there has been substantial development in the Lucan district. Census data of recent years show that in 1986 the population of the three district electoral divisions comprising the Lucan district was 12,998. At the 1991 census that figure had increased to 14,431 and in the census recorded this year it had increased to 20,172. In addition, there has been substantial new housing development in the vicinity. In the last three years over 3,000 houses have been constructed in the Lucan district.
A site of approximately one acre has been reserved at the Superquinn Shopping Centre for a long period of time for the development of a library. There is a need for a library service for local cultural community activities, for local historical studies and archives, for general community activities as well as to make information speedily available to individuals and groups. The public library service review group in its report of 1987 made the point that the establishment of major new town and suburban developments in the Dublin area required, as a matter of urgency, the provision of adequate and proper community services in these areas. A modern library service, in its view, was an essential focal community service in these new developments and its provision should be given a high priority.
Lucan has had to wait a long time for a library. I tabled a parliamentary question on this matter earlier in the year and the Minister in his reply stated that the local authority's proposals in relation to this project were approved in principle in November 1992. The authority was understood to be considering certain revisions to the project before making further submissions to the Department of the Environment. This week the Minister confirmed that a revised sketch design and cost plan for a branch library in Lucan was received by his Department in September and is being considered but, having regard to the high level of demand for funding for library proposals generally, he could not say when it would be possible to approve the Lucan proposal.
The site is available. It is adjacent to the Superquinn shopping centre which is at the heart of much new development and housing construction. I urge the Minister in the context of the preparation of the annual Estimates to make provision for this development. It is an area with a population of 20,172 people, a substantial number of households and a long-standing demand. The Minister should take a these factors into consideration in arriving at a decision to make the necessary funding available for the development of this project.
