Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 250: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he is aware that although a new library has been constructed in Leixlip, it remains unopened due to staff shortages; if in view of this staffing problem he intends to relax the local authority staff embargo to allow for the employment of staff in order that this library can be opened; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37500/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I refer to the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 312 of 27 October 2005 which outlines the current position regarding completion of the new library in Leixlip.

With regard to staffing, the cap on local authority staffing levels dates from a Government decision in December 2002 to cap public service numbers at the then existing levels and to reduce numbers by 5,000 across all sectors by the end of 2005. Numbers in the local authorities are to be reduced by 1,000 over the period. Local authorities were informed of the reduction required in the local government sector over the three-year period 2003 to 2005. My Department has informed Kildare County Council that the staff required for the new library in Leixlip may be recruited provided the council's overall authorised staffing level is not exceeded.