PBPA Cllr Richard Boyd Barrett
In a statement, Cllr Richard Boyd Barrett of the People Before Profit Alliance condemned the decision of the Labour/ Fine Gael majority in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Council to vote against a motion calling for the re-opening of the recently closed Sallynoggin library as a full-time library with trained librarians.
The motion to re-open the library was proposed by Cllr Boyd Barrett, who has been involved in a public campaign to save the library since the Council agreed to close it as part of the 2010 budget in December last year.
Only four Councillors voted in support of the motion to reopen the library, with all Fine Gael Labour and a majority of Fianna Fail voting against.
Cllr Boyd Barrett said:
“It is absolutely shameful that Fine Gael and the Labour Party, who form the majority on the Council has taken the decision to uphold the disgraceful decision to deprive the people of Sallynoggin of their library.
Of course, the first responsibility for the closure of the library and the crisis in the County’s library service lies with the Fianna Fail/Green government for imposing a public sector recruitment embargo that has resulted in a grinding down of library staff numbers. However, the Council made the decision to single out Sallynoggin – a disadvantaged area – to bear the brunt of the cut backs. It’s absolutely scandalous.
It makes a joke of Fine Gael and Labour’s claims that they represent a progressive alternative to policies of this government, when they do the same as this them, in making the vulnerable and the least well-off pay the costs of the current economic crisis.
In refusing to vote to re-open the library, Labour and Fine Gael claimed ridiculously that a volunteer run service – that will only open six hours a week – was an acceptable compensation for the loss of a full-time library, run by librarians.
They also tried to claim that it was not really their decision but that of the County management, when in reality the closure plan was explicitly part of the budget which they voted for. They confirmed that disgraceful decision by refusing to support today’s motion to re-open the library.
Sallynoggin library had over 1200 members and issued over 22,000 books last year. Even the Council management had to admit that its usage had increased significantly over the last year. So this is a really vital facility that the area needs even more when it is blighted by rising unemployment, pay and social welfare cuts. This decision amounts to kicking a disadvantaged area when it is down and suffering.
This closure has been implemented despite the overwhelming opposition of the local people, huge numbers signing petitions and many people protesting. It is a totally unfair, misguided and undemocratic decision.
However, it was clear that the Councillors were squirming at the meeting and even tried to prevent the motion being voted. So there may still be ways we can exert public pressure to reverse this decision and I will certainly be looking at every possible way to achieve that.”
For more info/confirmation contact Richard Boyd Barrett 086-7814520