Fine Gael TD for Kildare South and Chairman of the Friends of Athy Heritage Centre Museum,  has welcomed the announcement of €1.65m funding for the development of  library services for Athy, allocated by the Department of the Environment. This is part of a €22 million investment by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government in some 16 library capital developments and the mainstreaming of the Open Libraries initiative.

“The library at Athy is currently housed in the same premises as the Heritage Centre Museum and there are plans to expand both to allow them to develop further.  With the acquisition of the Dominicans site, there is also the potential to move the library to that location.  Confirmation of this funding of €1.65m will now allow Kildare County Council to progress plans for the expansion and redevelopment of library services in Athy which will be an additional boost to the people of Athy.

“Fine Gael has a long term plan to keep the recovery going. Our plan will deliver more new jobs, spread right across the country, jobs that pay more than welfare, where hard work is rewarded. The plan will also deliver affordable, sustainable investments in services, like this library, using the resources from growing employment.”