Library service a jewel in the crown of Ireland's public service, says cork TD

A Cork TD has described the library service as one of the jewels in the crown of Ireland’s public service.

Jerry Buttimer, Fine Gael TD for Cork South Central and minister of state, was speaking at an event in Cork’s City Library marking Ireland Reads, a month-long campaign to get the country reading.

Mr Buttimer said that Cork is fortunate to have a library service that offers a high quality and inclusive welcome to all.

Important

“The Ireland Reads initiative is very important to me, as minister of state with responsibility for libraries, because it is vital that we encourage people to use our libraries and cultivate in people a love of books and a love of reading, in young people especially, and to make our libraries as accessible as possible to everyone,” he said.

“The joy of reading a book is something that can never be replaced by modern technology, and should never be replaced.” 

Mr Buttimer said it was an honour to participate in the City Library’s Ireland Reads event and described libraries as “one of the jewels in the crown of our public service”.

“The depth of the work that our libraries in Cork do, in different languages, across different age groups, is so impressive, and the investment in libraries in Cork is just phenomenal, and it’s something we will continue to prioritise,” he said.

Easing tension

Valerie O’Sullivan, Cork City Council chief executive, said the importance of reading could not be overestimated.

“Taking time to relax and do things you enjoy is important and reading is good for you. It relaxes your body by lowering your heart rate and easing the tension in your muscles. 

"Studies have even shown that reading boosts your mental health by reducing stress by up to 68%,” she said.

Ireland Reads is an initiative to celebrate the joy of reading. It is funded by Healthy Ireland and supported by public libraries and many organisations that promote reading, literacy and the arts.