Funding of up to 75% of the cost of a new library building for Westport is available from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government according to Labour's Cllr Keith Martin. The Department will also supply funding of up to 50% for new stock and equipment.
Cllr Martin says that this month the Department of the Environment announced a new Capital Funding Programme for Libraries under the Department's new libraries policy "Branching Out-Future Directions" which means there would be central government funding for a new library for Westport.
"This means the County Council will only have to put up a quarter of the cost of a new library for Westport. Castlebar and Ballina have libraries five times the size of Westport and this highlights how far behind Westport has fallen in the provision of such a vital public service" says the Westport councillor.
Cllr Martin is pushing for a new library to be the core of the proposed Convent civic centre project by Westport Town Council and Mayo County Council. Cllr Martin says under the programme there is specific mention of libraries being developed as part of combined projects such as civic centres as this kind of development is being encouraged.
"I am delighted to see that the new buildings programme is currently seeking applications from local authorities for new libraries and I have written to the County Manager, Des Mahon, The Town Manager, Peter Hynes, Director of Service Joe Loftus and County Librarian Austin Vaughan and asked them to put together an application for Westport.
"The Department will provide funding for a new building and while it says funding will be decided on "a case by case basis" it is likely that we would receive about 75% of the cost a new building and about 50% of the stock and equipment costs. This means that Mayo County Council will only have to stump up 25% of the cost for a new library for Westport.
"Because Westport library is too small and outdated to serve the huge population area in south-west Mayo a very good case can be made to the Department for building a new library in Westport as part of the proposed Civic Building development proposed for the Convent."
Cllr Martin stresses that action must be taken immediately as Mayo County Council must submit an interest in the grants by noon on September 15th.
http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/LocalGovernment/PublicLibraries/FileDownLoad,18054,en.doc
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