I have often raised issues relating to rural Ireland in this Chamber as we have seen the continuing withdrawal and reduction of services in the context of the closure of one-teacher schools, Garda stations, post offices and so on. The latest issue is the crisis that will develop, if left unchecked, in the library service. Several local authorities across the country have already passed motions condemning the proposals for mergers and so-called "efficient rationalisation". Whenever I hear efficient rationalisation linked to population, I immediately start shuddering at the prospect of the negative impact on vast swathes of this country which do not meet the criteria in that regard.

The background to this, which I raised on the Adjournment with the previous Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government last summer, is that the libraries development committee of the Local Government Management Agency set up a strategic working group to review library services. The review determined that efficiencies could be achieved through a shared-services approach. It suggested that some new shared services should be established for library authorities and that a proposed minimum population target of 100,000 would be an appropriate basis for determining a library shared-services structure which would be in line with the local government efficiency review report of 2010. Who decided that the figure would be 100,000? More than likely it was someone up here, in the Custom House, who probably would not know what rural Ireland looks like, let alone have ever visited it. By putting a figure of 100,000-----

The Senator is scaremongering again. This is typical Fianna Fáil-----

I am not scaremongering.

He is scaremongering.

Please allow Senator Mooney, without interruption.

I am talking about the facts which were contained in the Minister's own reply. I can put that reply on the record of the House again for Senator O'Neill-----

I know exactly what the reply was.

The Minister said that seeking efficiencies is not about a diminution of library services in County Leitrim and in associated counties. Tell that to the people of Ballymote in County Sligo who are now under threat of losing their library, on which thousands of euro of taxpayers' money was spent only three years ago. That library is now threatened with closure as a result of these so-called efficiencies. What is the Government going to do next? It has shut down the Garda stations, the post offices, the one-teacher schools and now it is going to attack a service which is used by some of the most vulnerable people in our society-----

The Senator is way over time.

-----the county library system. It is a shoddy decision by this Government. If there is any compassion left in this Government then the Deputy Leader will accede to my request for a debate on this issue. I wish to table an amendment to the Order of Business to call on the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to come to the House today to discuss the future of library services, as outlined in the strategic report, as well as the adverse impact on the lives of those living in rural Ireland. I ask that such an amendment be put to the House and that the Minister would come before us to explain his actions.