Local Authority Funding.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 October 2006

Tuesday, 24 October 2006

Ceisteanna (610)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

684 Ms C. Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will assist local authorities with capital costs in relation to the establishment or maintenance of archives; if it is intended to go beyond temporary funding options for such archives; the local authorities have applied for either permanent or temporary funding; if it is a requirement that archive facilities be attached to a library; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34057/06]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Roche)

My Department currently assists local authorities with capital costs in relation to leasing temporary accommodation for the purposes of processing archives. This funding is intended to subsidise the leasing of short-term accommodation used by a local authority in this regard. It is not proposed to extend this funding to the provision of permanent archive accommodation beyond the current Public Library Capital Programme, which allows for the development of local authority archive facilities as part of new public libraries. An archive facility may be attached to a new public library but this is not a mandatory requirement.

To date nine local authorities have applied for funding for archive accommodation.