Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 13 Jun 2001

Vol. 538 No. 1

Written Answers. - Mobile Library Services.

Ned O'Keeffe

Ceist:

220 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will make necessary funding available for bookstock to enable the re-introduction of a public mobile library service to primary schools in rural areas. [17450/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

The operation of the public mobile library service for primary schools is a matter for the various local authorities and, accordingly, it is a matter for each of them to provide a mobile library service for the schools in its area. My Department has no involvement in the operation of this service. However my Department does make a grant available to each local authority on an annual basis to enable their librarians select, purchase, and deliver books to the primary schools. The grant is based on the number of pupils enrolled in primary schools in each local authority area. The value of the grant in 2001 is £1.037 million.

The library service is essential for schools in rural areas, where pupils do not have ready access to public library facilities and also for pupils in disadvantaged areas who normally are not motivated to read at home. The Department of Environment and Local Government has established a working group on the schools library service. My Department, the library council and local authority librarians are also represented on the group. One of the terms of reference of the group is to consider the role of the public library service in the operation of the schools library service. The group has already held a number of meetings and will continue to meet over the coming months. If the Deputy wishes to provide further details regarding the matter raised in his question, I will ensure that it is brought to the attention of the working group.

I am very conscious of the need to ensure that all schools have access to proper library facilities and resources. In this regard, in recent years, two grants have issued from my Department directly to primary and post-primary schools to assist them with the development of their library resource materials. The first grant was called a library grant and was issued by my Department in December 1998. At that time all primary schools received a grant of £1,000 per school, while schools designated as disadvantaged received £3,170 each. The grant that issued to second level schools in December 1998 amounted to £2,500, while disadvantaged schools received £5,320. A second grant issued to all primary and post-primary schools in December 1999 as part of the national reading initiative. Under the terms of this grant, primary schools received a payment of £7.70 per pupil, while a minimum grant of £462 was issued to all schools with 60 pupils or less. Post primary schools also received £7.70 per pupil, while a minimum grant of £1,540 was paid to all schools with less than 200 recognised pupils. At primary level the total value of these two grants was approximately £7.7 million, while at second level the two grants amounted to £5.2 million