Librarians need to be protected from group confronting staff and tearing up books

Library workers need to be protected, said Cllr Sean McGowan after a number of libraries were targeted by a small group of far right agitators.

Staff have been confronted and seen books from the library’s collection of LGBTQ+ material for young adults torn apart in recent times.

"I believe the group is back on the trail and targeting libraries and library staff. Have we enough staff in the branches in the smaller towns. If there was just one staff member there on their own and they are targeted, is there support there for them in that event. Library staff feel vulnerable, I imagine, particularly if there is only person in there," he said. 

He was speaking after a presentation by head of finance, Vincent Dwyer who covered the recreation and amenity section of the annual budget, the main highlights of which were a 6.5% increase in the overall cost of the library service within the county (over €113,000) and an 11.5% increase in the overall amenity allocation (over €70,000). 

Also, a major increase within the general municipal allocation (GMA) has been the Tidy Towns allocation which has gone up by 43% this year with a contingency to deal with emergency town issues; town river cleaning issues which might arise. 

The arts programme has a 14% net increase in our overall contribution to the arts in Leitrim which comes to €80,000. 

Cllr Mary Bohan welcomed the increased funds for Tidy Towns saying "they do absolutely fantastic work" and "to look at what our small group in Drumkeeran did this year with the biodiversity project at the amenity area - it's a fantastic project and I know this is happening right around the county; they do deserve extra funding."

She asked if there was a completion date for the library in Dromahair and complimented the council on "their support and tremendous work they've done there - it's going to be an absolutely fabulous facility in the town." 

Cllr Finola Armstrong-McGuire said there is a mini-sweeper in Carrick-on-Shannon and asked if there are many of them in the county. "It should be available to other towns in the county as well, I believe."

She also said there are people in residents' associations willing to "work on their estates and help out and we have some houses run by the local authority where no contribution is made to the residents' associations." She stressed that the funds expected from each house is "very very small if every house contributes."

She asked that the local authority ask their tenants to contribute or it be added to their rent. "It's worth as much mentally and then bonding with the community as it is financially; it's not a big burden and it's all positive."

Mary Quinn, Director of Services, Housing, Corporate Services, Community and Cultural Services said in relation to protestors targeting library staff, "we can't increase staff just to deal with this one particular issue" but said "we will keep an eye on it and the county librarian will have more of an insight into it and we'll put in place the necessary health and safety processes around it."

With regard to the issue of local authority residents not contributing to residents' association, Ms Quinn said this is "under review so we should be able to come back on that."

Justin Fannon said that Dromahair library is due to be finished by the end of May, 2024.