HOURS TO BE CUT AT LIBRARY
STAFF SHORTAGES BLAMED FOR TEMPORARY CUT IN SERVICE
A LACK of available staff means opening hours at Wicklow Library could be cut by as much as 50 per cent. Staff relocations have been given as the reason for the reduction to opening hours from six days a week to three or four days – a move that Wicklow Library Services says is ‘temporary’.
Cllr John Snell said: ‘I feel it is very unfair on the people who use the service regularly. I can understand unforeseen circumstances, but this seems to be a regular occurrence.’
OPENING hours at Wicklow Library will be reduced from six days per week to three or four days because of a lack of staff members.
The reduction will be temporary and will also see Ballywaltrim Library remain closed for a period after Christmas , while Greystones Library will close earlier on a Thursday evening.
Staff relocations are being blamed for the reduction in hours at Wicklow Library.
Wicklow County Librarian Brendan Martin, said: ‘In order to try to maintain services at the main locations, it is necessary to relocate staff. Unfortunately, this will mean making some closures and reductions in opening hours in January 2018.’
Whether Wicklow Library’s opening hours are reduced to three or four days will be confirmed in the coming days.
Cllr John Snell was critical of the move to cut opening hours.
‘I feel it is very unfair on the people who use the service regularly. There is something drastically wrong in how we are operating our libraries and allowing available man-power to run and dictate them. It’s not good policy going forward.
‘There is no point talking about the great library services we have in the county if the libraries aren’t manned properly and can’t maintain their opening hours. I can understand unforeseen circumstances, but this seems to be a regular occurrence,’ said Cllr Snell.
Wicklow County Council Director of Community, Culture and Social Development, Michael Nicholson, further explained the reason for the opening time reductions.
Library Workforce Plans are currently being developed by each local authority, before being adopted by their IMPACT library union members, and then submitted to Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government for approval.
Due to a number of national issues, IMPACT informed its members not to endorse proposals, until national issues could be collectively resolved.
However, when this instruction occurred, some counties had already received local union backing and then submitted their Work Force Plans and were granted approval from national government to fill vacancies.
‘When the public service staff embargo was slowly lifted in 2014, a number of library positions could only be filled on contract basis, nationally,’ said Mr Nicholson.
‘This included a number of library staff with Wicklow County Council. With some nearby counties now filling vacancies on a permanent basis, a number of staff have opted to transfer from Wicklow to ensure the security of permanent posts.
‘Libraries such as Greystones, Bray and Wicklow are affected by this, with the loss of six staff to other locations since September.’
Wicklow County Council Chief Executive, Frank Curran, has advised that opening hours will be restored once staff vacancies have been filled.
‘The recently adopted Estimates by Wicklow County Council for 2018, includes an additional €178,000 for recruitment of additional library staff.
‘It is possible that the library Work Force plan will be adopted and submitted to the Department by Christmas, or early January. This should enable current vacancies to then be filled.
‘When this occurs, all library opening hours will be restored, and additional posts will be filled.’
Earlier this year the vacant Ulster Bank premises in Wicklow town was purchased as the ideal location for a new library. It is expected to open in 2019 and will be open for 49 hours per week.
‘It will be a state of the art facility over six floors and as well as modern library facilities, it will host Wicklow county Council Archives and Wicklow County Council’s Local Studies collection,’ added Mr Curran.
It was also stressed that, excluding Dublin local authorities, Wicklow County Council’s full time libraries has equal or longer library opening hours than any of its nearby local authorities.