National Library

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 March 2015

Wednesday, 11 March 2015

Questions (30)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

30. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department has investigated the net cost of availing of the storage arrangement offered by Trinity College Dublin and National University of Ireland Dublin for materials from the National Library of Ireland's collection; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that moving items from the national collection to these universities would likely improve the conditions of their storage, and preservation; if her attention has been further drawn to the potential benefit of freeing up properties currently used by the National Library of Ireland for storage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10184/15]

Written answers

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

While my Department provides funding to the national cultural institutions, the management and board of each institution is responsible for all operational matters, including storage and conservation, and I do not have a statutory function in respect of such day-to-day matters. It is the responsibility of the management and the boards of the individual institutions to determine the spending priorities for their institutions, based on the resources available to them and the need to ensure the conservation and protection of their collections.

That said, I am aware that discussions regarding an off-site storage facility are ongoing between the National Library, Trinity College Dublin and National University of Ireland Dublin. The National Library has kept my Department apprised of progress in relation to this matter.