The Dublin City Librarian has been called on to withdraw Internet services from Dublin libraries temporarily because children are accessing pornography sites.
Ms Niamh Cosgrave, Fine Gael councillor for Donaghmede, said very young children were accessing sites displaying pornography, paedophilia and bestiality. She had seen the sites herself.
"I nearly got sick," she said. "I'm 36, I'm by no means a prude, but what I saw made my stomach turn. I don't want my kids to grow up thinking sex with animals is normal."
The City Librarian, Ms Deirdre Ellis-King, said she would not remove the computers, though she agreed that the issue was one for concern.
"I would certainly agree. I wouldn't approve of children accessing inappropriate sites, that's not what the resource is for. If children or anyone are found to be abusing the service, they will have their access withdrawn."
The free Internet service introduced last July has been hugely successful. In the first three months, 36,000 sessions were booked. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, or have written authorisation, to use the service.
Ms Ellis-King said that dedicated terminals for use by children might be introduced, and filtering systems such as Net Nanny would be considered.
Ms Cosgrave said: "Parents should treat libraries as a no-go area until the service is pulled."
Mr Pat McMahon, president of the Library Association, the professional body for librarians, said: "A visit to a library should be a wonderful experience for any child, but I would be against filtering systems on Internet services in adult libraries, and most librarians would be against censorship."