The Taoiseach says Ireland is not about to become a country that bans or burns books.
Leo Varadakar was speaking in the Dáil after Fórsa announced they will be staging a solidarity protest outside Cork City's main library on Friday.
The union says staff have faced intimidation by protestors who have entered the library in an attempt to have certain books removed and have called on the City Council to carry out an immediate health and safety risk assessment.
Cork TD Mick Barry raised the issue in the Dáil this afternoon.
In his response, Leo Varadkar expressed his support for the staff impacted:
"Places where they ban books, it's not shortly after that, they start burning books and then sometimes burning people and that's not a road we're gonna go down as a country. So we do support our librarians. Libraries aren't just a place where books are stored and lent out there repository of information and provide access to knowledge for people. And it is important that we make sure that librarians are supporting their jobs and feel safe in their jobs."
In a statement to RedFM News, Cork City Council say their health and safety systems have been reviewed and updated and say staff were involved in the process.
A spokesperson says comprehensive risk assessments have also been conducted and documented.
The Council say library management continue to offer the appropriate supports to staff following recent issues in the library service.
The statement goes on to say that the Council continue to review policies and proceedures with the assistance of expert advice.
