The awards were presented to local authorities in recognition of their ongoing efforts to support literacy development through the library service.Mr Seán Canney TD, the Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development, has today (17 October 2019) presented Right to Read Champion Awards to local authorities in recognition of their ongoing efforts to support literacy development through the library service.

The Awards, which were hosted by the LGMA at Local Government House in Dublin, were presented to all 30 library authorities in recognition of the support and promotion of literacy skills development through initiatives such as the ‘Summer Stars Reading Programme’ and ‘Spring in to Storytime’.

Speaking at the event, the Minister said:

“I am delighted to be here today to present the Right to Read Champion Awards to local authorities who led on and delivered the Right to Read Programme, it is a great initiative that has committed us, both at a national and local level, to improving literacy standards.”

The delivery of the Right to Read programme at local level is led by the public library services in each local authority and the implementation is overseen by a Right to Read co-ordinator in each library service. These awards are being presented to and is coordinated at national level by the Right to Read Steering Group, chaired by the Department of Rural and Community Development in collaboration with Libraries Development in the LGMA.