Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Wicklow County Council operates 13 public libraries across the county, plus its mobile library and library headquarters. In 2012, there were 489,669 visits to the library service. Local authorities have seen a significant reduction in staffing numbers over the last few years, and while this has assisted in the re-balancing of public service costs, it has brought challenges in service delivery for local authorities, including the library service. Decisions on the delivery of library services are matters for local authorities and my Department has no direct role in the delivery or prioritisation of those services. Wicklow County Council has responded flexibly to staff shortages in its libraries so as to maintain the fullest possible level of service. This has included libraries in some cases having fewer staff on duty, but continuing to operate.

In the case of Greystones Library, a recent staff retirement caused management to examine all options to sustain a strong level of service, including weekend and evening opening. To deliver this, the local authority made the decision to relocate a staff member from the Ballywaltrim local history studies service to Greystones Library to sustain the core number of staff required to operate the library. This was a decision of the local authority and took into account the fact that Greystones Library has a membership of 25,709 and issues more than 500,000 items per annum. The local studies section at Ballywaltrim Library in Bray was staffed by one person and was open 24 hours per week until the council's decision on its temporary closure on 1 July.

The other action taken by the county council in respect of dealing with staffing numbers and the delivery of services is the recent submission to my Department, on 24 June, of staff sanction requests for the filling of a number of vacancies in Wicklow County Council's library service. I was surprised these requests were not made earlier. The requests are being considered by my Department and I will ask if we can expedite the decisions. Pending the outcome of the sanction requests, the county council will continue to make decisions on where and how to deploy its resources. I hope my Department can deal quickly with the recent staffing request which could help Wicklow County Council to reopen the Ballywaltrim local history studies service and provide the service that existed up to 1 July.

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