Public Accounts Committee chairman Seán Fleming has claimed there is a “bit of bribery” involved in the rolling out of a library service with no staff during certain hours.

The Fianna Fáil Offaly TD, in whose constituency a successful pilot scheme of the service took place, also said the initiative would result in staff cutbacks in the long-term and would contribute to isolation.

But Minister of State Damien English rejected his claim as "weird" and said "nobody is being isolated or missing out".

He said they were increasing the opening hours and people would even be able to access the library on Christmas Day if they wished.

He said Mr Fleming “would have to scrape the barrel to make this out to be a negative experience” and insisted there would be no reduction in staff levels or hours “either in the short or long-term”.

Anti-social behaviour

Mr Fleming raised the issue following a unanimous decision by Laois County Councillors on Monday to postpone the initiative, which was due to start in Portarlington shortly.

He claimed libraries would not be refurbished if they refused to participate in the scheme.

And he warned of the potential for anti-social behaviour in unattended libraries.

“What woman wants to go into a locked library at 9.30 on a winter’s night not knowing who is coming in the door behind her?”

Protests were also held outside Dún Laoghaire library on Sunday afternoon when it opened under the Open Library service for a number of hours without staff.

System roll-out

Mr Fleming claimed: “There is a bit of bribery involved on the part of the Department and local authority senior staff to have the system rolled out.”

He said there was €2.3 million available for the scheme, with recommendations that all newly developed and refurbished libraries should be required to implement the service from the first re-opening of a refurbished building.

“In other words, if one is not willing to go this route, one will get no money for a new library or an upgraded library.”

Mr Fleming also said “the initiative will lead to staff not being replaced in due course.”

The Minister pointed out that “the staff involved in the three pilot cases did not raise these concerns”.