Very well. Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach, na Teachtaí agus na Seanadóirí. As chair of the National Museum of Ireland, I am pleased to be in a position to co-operate with the committee. I understand the committee has a very special and deep interest in HR issues as they pertain to the National Museum of Ireland. I also wish to refer to the statement just made by the Chairman as to the limitations and legal obligations of witnesses. In addition to his citation, I wish to place firmly on the record that the National Museum of Ireland has an absolute obligation as an employer to maintain confidentiality and respect for all our employees, past and present. This obligation of confidentiality is absolutely paramount and therefore precludes us as the employer from commenting on or answering any questions relating to current or former employees. I hope our colleagues, the members, will understand this position and our obligation.
In preparation for this engagement, I have reflected generally on the issue of HR. Over the past 20 years, I have served on the national executive and international executive of a trade union, sat on the boards of both statutory and not-for-profit organisations, chaired four boards and run two organisations including my current business, which employs 14 staff. It is my experience that even in the smallest organisation, even where practices are very good, HR issues arise. I would be surprised if there is anyone in this room who has not had to deal with a HR or industrial relations, IR, issue. I say this not to excuse the HR problems the museum has experienced but everything deserves a context.
In my statement and in the time allowed to me I will not speak on every detail we submitted to the committee for its consideration. Rather, I have chosen to highlight some key points and hope by the end of this hearing that the committee will have the adequate information to further its deliberations and make whatever recommendations it sees fit.
In many ways, in an organisation that is older than the State itself, it is only possible for us to account for the HR function at the museum in more recent years. It is important at this point to state that Mr. Ó Floinn, the director, has been in place since 2013 and I have been in place as board chair since July 2016. Therefore, we can only really discuss with any great sense of conviction the issues to which we have been exposed in our time.
It is important to make the general point that the museum in its long lifetime has had many parents, moving around a number of Government Departments before eventually becoming an autonomous body 12 years ago.
Over the past number of months, we have developed a dynamic relationship with the Department. We are entering an exciting time in the whole arena of culture and heritage through the Creative Ireland project and recent policy decisions. The museum needs a strong organisation and cohort who function well and respond to change and opportunities ahead. I view this as a highly achievable outcome.
I would like to use this opportunity to say something about the negative headlines and the profiling of the HR issue at the museum. As some members will know, I am a big fan of the museum. Before I became the chairperson, I visited at least one museum a month, if not more. As chairperson of the museum, I visit at least one of the museum's sites once a week, sometimes more and sometimes twice or three times. In the past nine months, I have come in contact with some hugely dynamic people who work at the museum and do the State a huge public service. Last year, as people will be aware, the museum created with very little resources an exhibition entitled Proclaiming a Republic. As I have done previously, I urge the committee to engage with the exhibition as it is an excellent showcase of the 1916 Rising and the events around it. To date, 170,000 visitors have seen the exhibition.
At the end of March, I was pleased to open an exhibition of contemporary work that celebrates 60 years of a diplomatic relationship between Ireland and Japan. The exhibition focused on the Sodeisha movement. The project is important for us as a museum because over the past 100 years our collecting policy focused on gathering items that told the story of Ireland and, in many ways, we missed out on some of the cultural developments around the globe. The Sodeisha movement was instrumental in changing ceramic arts around the world. I know that it has been hugely influential on Irish ceramic artists. The decision by the museum to collect contemporary international collections has been an important departure for me. The exhibition also defines and celebrates Ireland's relationship with Japan.
I noted in recent weeks our outreach collaboration with the national neighbourhood programme operated by the Dublin City Council. The museum has demonstrated that it is one of the excellent partners in the initiative where community engagement, particularly in the more disadvantaged communities surrounding the museum's catchment area, has ensured that people can engage with and explore the museums in ways that they have not previously done.
I am pleased to say that on Easter Monday we will open the Proclaiming a Republic exhibition from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. as part of the Cruinniú na Cásca celebrations. Normally we are closed on Mondays but staff have facilitated the event.
I have given a snapshot of developments at the museum. They are in addition to our daily functions around caring for, acquiring and documenting collections to serve the State. All of those achievements would not have happened if staff did not go over and beyond the call of normal duty. It demonstrates the passion and interest that staff have in the museum's work.
I have established an effective working relationship with the director and management of the museum. I serve with a very committed and hardworking board who all work on a pro bono basis as part of our contribution to the National Museum of Ireland. The kind of dedication and commitment that I have experienced at the museum is not headline-making but it is mostly what one sees and experiences when one interacts with the museum.
As a country, we have been picking ourselves up off the ground and the museum is not alone. The museum will commence a journey with a new master plan over the coming months. It is future facing but learning lessons from the past. We are oiling all of the wheels so that we can move best to serve the public in the decades and centuries ahead. I believe HR is part of management and will always be there. The stronger the HR function is, the fewer problems will emerge, which is what we are trying to achieve. I am happy to take further questions.
