Vol. 396 No. 6
226 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the extent of cutbacks in public library facilities; to the impact which this is having on children's opportunities for study, particularly in disadvantaged areas; and the representations, if any, she has made to the Minister for the Environment to have free public library services and facilities fully restored and developed.
The provision of public library services is the responsibility of the Minister for the Environment and I do not consider it appropriate that I should comment on this issue. In 1989 my Department made available an additional sum of £1,096,000 from national lottery sources under the national school library scheme, to enable the stocks of books used for the scheme to be replenished and for an 80 per cent increase in the rate of the per capita grant payable under the scheme.
