Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 December 2015
61. Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the recently announced €10 million capital investment programme for the National Library will address outstanding concerns at the library; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43542/15]
View answerThe National Library is one of our foremost National Cultural Institutions, charged with collecting, preserving, promoting and making accessible the documentary and intellectual record of the life of Ireland. I am acutely aware of the challenges facing the National Library, and indeed other cultural institutions, following the reduction in resources available to the Exchequer as a result of the economic crisis. There are significant challenges which will not be fixed overnight, and indeed will most likely take a number of years to address.
It is widely acknowledged that the Library holds part of its collection in an historic Victorian-era building in Kildare Street that would not meet modern standards in terms of environmental and other controls. In this regard, I was delighted to be in a position to announce a major new capital investment plan for the National Library's historic Kildare Street premises, as part of the Government's Public Capital Programme – Building on Recovery 2016-2021. I have earmarked an allocation of €10m in funding for the first phase of the works.
The investment will be delivered as a phased programme of works in partnership with the Office of Public Works. The redevelopment will address the following key areas:
- Refurbishment of the 1890s building to meet modern standards for universal access, fire prevention, health and safety, circulation, security, mechanical and electrical services, and environmental sustainability;
- Upgrading and enhancement of visitor and reader facilities;
- Upgrading the conditions in which heritage collections are kept;
- Improvement of both access and security;
- Upgrading and rationalisation of operational areas; and
- Provision of better linkages throughout the Library’s extended buildings complex.
I am confident that investment plan will allow the Library to continue to deliver on its core objectives, including the protection and conservation of its collections, as well as enabling it develop its place as a venue for research, culture, learning and tourism. The investment will help transform the Library into a world-class facility for the storage and display of some of our most important historical documents.
