How many people are needed for a library?

BISHOPSTOWN in Cork has a population of almost 19,000. In November last, Dan Boyle TD asked the Minister for the Environment what were the requirements for a public library and was told that a minimum population of 1,000 was essential.

Why is this very populous area deprived of its cultural amenities and its share of the €3.5m annual Cork City Council library budget? The provision of a library bus far away from the area one day a week is hardly the answer.

Tomás Ó Scannláin