Vol. 473 No. 3
91 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the progress, if any, made regarding the proposed National Photographic Archive in Temple Bar, Dublin 2; the short and long-term proposals for this archive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24964/96]
The National Library of Ireland has been allocated the basement, ground and first floors of the Photography Centre, Temple Bar, Dublin, as the location for the National Photographic Archive. The remainder of the building provides accommodation for the Photography Department of the Dublin Institute of Technology.
Building and appropriate fitting-out works to the relevant areas of the premises to render them suitable for occupation by the library have been completed.
Negotiations involving the Commissioners of Public Works, the Chief State Solicitor's Office and Temple Bar Properties to finalise a lease agreement in respect of the premises are ongoing.
At the conclusion of these negotiations, the National Library will proceed to occupy the premises on a phased basis. Such phasing will have regard at all times to the fragile nature of the material being moved to the new premises and the resources in finance and staffing which can be made available to the library.
I am pleased to note that the development of the new Photographic Archive will allow the National Library to preserve its valuable photographic collections in optimum conditions. It will also facilitate, through the use of a modern computerised imaging system, easy access to the various images in the collections. The archive will also facilitate the development of new services to the public based on this improved access as well as conservation work on the collection itself. I am confident that through exhibitions it will lead to greater public awareness of these valuable collections of the National Library of Ireland, many of which have been unseen to date.
