Council receives €66,934 from Dormant Account
By Aideen O'Flaherty
SOUTH Dublin County Council’s award of €66,934 from the Department of Rural and Community Development will be used to fund a number of local library projects, including the Balgaddy Women’s Writing Group and an intercultural programme called New Irish.
The money, which is from the Dormant Accounts Fund, where unclaimed funds from dormant accounts in credit institutions in the state are used for the development of people who are disadvantaged, has been given to the local authority to provide library supports for marginalised, socially excluded and disadvantaged communities.
South Dublin County Council has received €66,934 from Dormant Accounts
At Monday’s monthly meeting of the council, it was outlined that the funds will be used for a number of projects, including a six-week local studies programme where children will put together local history projects, and grandparents and their grandchildren will work on sharing family history.
A young entrepreneurs’ group will see 5th and 6th class pupils work in small groups to develop, create and market a product that will ultimately be for sale at the Christmas Craft Market at Lucan Library, with the aid of 3D printing and Makerspace resources.
For children and adults in the county who have learning difficulties, a disability or special needs, the money will help to fund a programme called Toys, Training, Technology, where they can have access to a specialised collection of toys and other resources.
Second-level students will be able to participate in Creative Campus, to help them to attain their educational and personal outcomes by offering them free access to a range of educational supports on school subjects.
The funding will also allow the library service to establish a transport bursary so that communities can apply for free, safe and reliable transport to South Dublin County libraries and other related venues for particular events, such as the Red Line Book Festival.
It is hoped that the new transport bursary will open up the Red Line Book Festival and SDCC library events to new audiences who may previously have felt excluded, in line with the directive that the funding is to be used to provide library supports for excluded and disadvantaged communities.
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