Ionad Teampall Chróine, Dungloe.
BY SEÁN P. FEENY
FOLLOWING the submission of 1,000 signatures to Donegal County Council to save the public library in Dungloe the council has confirmed there are as yet no specific plans for its future.
The Friends Of Dungloe Library handed the petition to Eileen Burgess, County Librarian and to Seamus Neely, County Manager at Donegal Count Council, and Michael Ó hEanaigh, Director of Community, Culture and Planning at Donegal County Council and also to Councillors in the Glenties Municipal District at their inaugural meeting in Dungloe last week.
The petition submitted by The Friends Of Dungloe Library is to have cuts to staffing levels and opening hours at Ionad Teampaill Chróine-based library to be reversed.
Although there are no specific plans to-date, a spokesperson for the council did confirm it is considering the optimum use of all its buildings and this includes the Dungloe PSC.
Petitioners are also upset over the threat to move the library, which currently has one full-time staff member from its current location to the Public Services Building in Dungloe.
A spokesperson for the Friends Of Dungloe Library state last week since the departure of one member of staff in April, the library must now close when the current sole staff member is not there – at lunch times, but also during annual or sick leave.
In response the council spokesperson said where possible across all public libraries cover is provided to ensure consistency in opening hours.
“However, there are occasions when cover cannot be provided in which case there is/would be a temporary closure. Any proposal to change the library location would have to be considered fully and will not happen in the short term,” the spokesperson said.
There is currently a national moratorium in place preventing Donegal County Council from employing any further staff at Dungloe Library.
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