Board Must Be Brought to Book Over Proposed Library Closures

Proposals by the North Eastern Education and Library Board to close libraries at Castlerock and Garvagh in the latest cost cutting measures fly in the face of the Board’s ethos, East Londonderry UUP Assembly member David McClarty has said. The MLA is calling on the Board to rethink it assessment of services which will see it abandon its main principle. Mr. McClarty said: “The Board’s mission statement is to promote lifelong learning for everyone but that worthy ideal is being discarded in the interests of meeting budget requirements. “The simple fact of the matter is that libraries in England receive much more funding than in Northern Ireland and instead of increasing the money for library services here to establish some kind of parity, the Government is demanding that Boards meet budgets no matter what it takes. “If that means decimating a third of its library service which is of great value to smaller communities then it seems to be perfectly acceptable. “In this latest proposal, people who live in smaller communities seem to be an easy target. “Libraries are focal points of their communities, valuable centres of learning and the Government is prepared to let Board’s close them wholesale across the North East region. “The Board can claim that it is improving its service in larger libraries and satellites and extending its mobile operation but the plain fact is that this is no substitute for a local facility easily accessible to local people.” Mr. McClarty says: “The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure must not be permitted to hold vital educational services to ransom simply because Government funding is inadequate. “If this proposal is allowed to go through it will only be the start of additional savage cuts. Already the education authorities are prepared to endanger our children by failing to carry out repair work in school, withdraw crossing patrols and consider scrapping the school meals service.” Mr. McClarty added: “What kind of society are we living in when our children’s right to education is being rent asunder when it should in fact be improving with investment in schools and library services on the same footing as on the mainland?”

08 Apr 2005 by Editor 0 comments