Clare libraries awarded over €5,000 under Dormant Accounts Fund

CLARE County Library will receive €5,000 under the Dormant Accounts Fund for Library Supports.

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys announced €550,000 in funding for  national library supports for marginalized and disadvantaged communities under the 2023 Dormant Accounts Action Plan on Monday.

The funding allocated to Clare County Library will be used to purchase sensory toys for neurodivergent people, along with age-friendly furniture and seating for the elderly

Announcing the funding at the opening of a new library in Portlaoise, Minister Humphreys said: “the library is the place for all in our communities and this funding will help our libraries to go even further in facilitating inclusion and participation by all.”

Also announcing the funding, Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Joe O’Brien said he was delighted to approve the funding.

"This funding will support events and programmes which reach out to those most marginalised in our communities," he said.

“It will also provide for a number of measures to support digital equity and social inclusion such as sensory spaces and equipment, Magic Tables and Acorn Age Friendly tablets.

“I have seen first-hand the positive effects of this equipment on a range of users, including neurodivergent people, people with reading difficulties and older people. This funding will build upon the success of previous years’ projects and go a long way to ensuring that the wonderful facilities available in our libraries are accessible and used by all in our communities," Minister O'Brien concluded.

The funding is part of  ‘The Library is the Place’, a new strategy developed by the Department of Rural and Community Development in partnership with the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), the County and City Management Association (CCMA) and local authorities.

It is a 5-year plan for the period 2023-27 which sets out the strategic context for further investment in library infrastructure, technology, programmes and services.