Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 November 2015
37. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has consulted the director of the National Library in an attempt to address the relevant issues it faces at present; if she will be willing to make finances available to address these issues; and if these issues are presently a priority of her Department. [39533/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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 significant reduction of resources available to the Exchequer as a result of the economic crisis. These are significant challenges which will not be fixed overnight and will most likely take a number of years to address.
Thanks to the fact that the economy has improved, I was in a position to secure an additional €2 million in once-off funding for our National Cultural Institutions in late 2014, as part of the 2015 Revised Estimates. This included an increased allocation of €600,000 for the National Library.
The funding was aimed at addressing specific issues in a number of key institutions, including the National Library. While this funding was originally secured on a once off basis, I was pleased to retain it again for 2016. It should be noted that the Library will also benefit from additional funding under the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme next year.
In relation to the security of the collection, I am aware that the Library gives this issue the highest priority and, where incidents have arisen, they have brought in appropriate expert advice to assist them. I was also pleased to recently approve a new post in the National Library for a security and facilities manager, which will be key to managing and planning the storage and security of the Library’s collection.
It is widely acknowledged that the Library holds a significant amount of its collection in an historic Victorian era building, which would not meet modern standards in terms of environmental and other controls.
I will shortly be making a positive announcement about the development of a capital investment plan for the Library's Kildare Street building. I am confident that those plans will allow the Library to continue to deliver on its core objectives, including the protection and conservation of its collections.
