Faulty boiler closes library

City officials have insisted that they are working flat out to reopen a public library which has been forced to close because of a faulty boiler.

Cork City Council confirmed it hopes to carry out repairs to the boiler that fires the heating system at the Mayfield branch as quickly as possible.

However, it has warned that the repair job will be costly and complex and that the library, on the northside of the city, will remain closed for as long as the cold snap continues.

Several councillors raised concerns about the future of the branch at Monday’s council meeting. Local councilors, including Tim Brosnan, Stephen Cunningham and Joe Kavanagh, urged officials to work as quickly as possible to secure the repairs and reopen the facility.

The boiler, which also heats the nearby community centre, had been giving trouble for some time, and has undergone several minor repairs.

When it broke down earlier this month, the council brought in mobile blow heaters to heat the library.

Staff had, until last week, been forced to wear coats while at work. However, the plummeting temperatures in recent days rendered those heaters ineffective, and prompted city officials to shut the library.

A spokesman for City Hall said it was just not acceptable for people to be working in, or for customers to be availing of the facility in near freezing conditions.

He said it was unfortunate that the boiler broke down just as the cold weather hit, and he apologised for the inconvenience.

“Unfortunately, the branch will remain closed until weather conditions allow for the facility to be used comfortably. The situation will be reviewed on an ongoing basis,” he said.

Funding for the boiler repairs is in place and council officials are working to source a contractor and a compatible boiler, councillors were told. But the process, and the repair job, could take several weeks to complete, the meeting heard.

While it is hoped to reopen the library before Christmas, it will be completely dependent on weather conditions, officials said. The library staff have been redeployed to other areas of the city’s library service.

However, the spokesman moved to reassure people that the repairs will be completed and the library re-opened as soon as possible.

He expressed disappointed that some people have used the opportunity to scaremonger about the future of the Mayfield service.

“We are totally committed to retaining the library service in this area,” he said.

People have been told library items can be returned, renewed or borrowed in any of the city’s other library branches, or items can be renewed through the library network’s online catalogue system using the item’s barcode number and each person’s four-digit PIN.