Plans to amalgamate Westmeath and Longford's library services have been dropped

Plans to amalgamate Westmeath and Longford's library services have been dropped, according to the trade union IMPACT.

In a statement issued yesterday evening, IMPACT hailed the decision by local authority authority managers as "“the best piece of library news for communities and workers in the affected counties since the economic crash".

Earlier this month, librarians in the 12 affected counties voted for industrial action if the planned amalgamations went ahead.

At a meeting of Local Authority National Council last Wednesday, the Local Government Management Agency revealed that library amalgamations in certain county councils were no longer a matter of principle for them.

The agency, which represents county council management in discussions with unions, went on to say that the filling of vacant county librarian posts can now be considered. It said there was scope for substantial cooperation between library authorities, and committed to writing to the union on the matter within two weeks.

IMPACT says it will await written confirmation of the decision before officially deferring its industrial action. But the union’'s national secretary Peter Nolan said “the risk of industrial action in our library services has now reduced.”

Last Wednesday'’s developments follow IMPACT'’s lengthy campaign of opposition to library amalgamation plans, originally outlined in 2014, in the following local authorities: Carlow, Cavan, Cork City, Cork County, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo and Westmeath.

Mr Nolan said: "“Our campaign won overwhelming support from the communities involved and their public representatives, for which we are grateful.

"This is the best piece of library news for communities and workers in the affected counties since the economic crash. It comes in the wake of a decision by library staff to take industrial action. While we will await the fine detail of the management proposals, the risk of industrial action in our library services has now reduced.”"