Plans to develop a three-story 45,000-sq ft library building and arts centre in the centre of Ennis have been given fresh impetus.

The Government today informed Clare County Library that it could now proceed with appointing a project design team.

Making the announcement Minister of State Tony Killeen TD, who was recently assigned responsibility for library matters within the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, described the proposed development as an exciting project for the library service in Clare.

The proposed state of the art development in the Ennis Post Office field will incorporate a new Public Library, Headquarters, Local Studies Centre, performance arena, community meeting facilities and a range of ancillary exhibition areas for Clare County Library and the Clare Arts Office.

Minister Killeen explained: "The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government recently received inquiries concerning the proposed new library development in Ennis and, in particular, the question of the library authority putting together a design team to work on the project."

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Minister Killeen said he intended announcing a new public library capital programme in the next few months in association with 'Branching Out – Future Directions', the Government's vision statement for the Irish Public Library Service in 2012.

"In the event of such a project being announced, I have recommended to Clare County Council that it re-submit the Library project for consideration under the new programme as its priority scheme. I understand that the Ennis library development is not on the current library capital programme but that other projects in Clare have been receiving grant aid from the Department under that programme, the most recent one being Scariff library," stated the Clare TD

He added: "In the meantime I think it would be reasonable for the authority to put together a design team to have proposals ready for immediate submission under the proposed new capital programme so that no time is lost in progressing this new facility."

In a letter to Mr Noel Crowley, Clare County Librarian, the Minister said: "I look forward to the new Ennis library project proceeding without delay and offering an enhanced service to the people of the town and its environs in the near future. You will appreciate, however, that formal sanction from the Department will depend on the project meeting with the usual statutory and other requirements in respect of tendering, value for money and technical suitability."

Mr Noel Crowley described the latest development as a huge step forward in progressing a major cultural project for Ennis and County Clare.

(GK/JM)