Popular authors such as Marian Keyes, Cathy Kelly and Cecelia Ahern are set to earn up to €8,000 a year from the State under a new system of payments for books borrowed from public libraries.
The Public Lending Remuneration Scheme, which came into force today, provides remuneration to qualifying authors based on the frequency with which their titles are loaned from the libraries.
The system, which will be run by An Chomhairle Leabharlanna (The Library Council) in co-operation with local authority libraries, will cost the Department of Environment an estimated €1 million a year.
Similar schemes are in operation in other EU countries and the adoption of an Irish version was necessary to bring Ireland in line with an EU directive on rental and lending rights.
Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Michael Kitt acknowledged the importance of recognising the contribution of authors observing that society's need for knowledge should be “appropriately balanced against the author’s legal and moral rights”.
He said he hoped the scheme would support and encourage authors, “whose work brings so much pleasure to so many people, through the public library service”.
Up to 13 million books, CDs and DVDs are loaned out each year from the State’s 350 public libraries. However, figures showing the most borrowed books are not yet available.
As most books issued by Irish public libraries are also issued in UK libraries, the Irish authorities have agreed with their UK counterparts to exchange details on authors who are registered with both schemes.
