Mr. Liam Bradley:

On the question of the view of the Local Authority Museums Network, LAMN, of the National Museum of Ireland, NMI, from a personal point of view I have always loved it having visited it many times as a child. I am involved in museums because of the many tours of the National Museum of Ireland on which I was taken. It always seemed to me that this monolith was a place to be revered and respected, and it is. As mentioned by Ms Scarff, there are strong personal connections and relationships between the national and local museums such that it is not Monaghan County Museum or Donegal County Museum contacting the National Museum of Ireland but Liam or Judith contacting Lynn or Maeve. This is key. The museum sector in Ireland is small and we all tend to know each other well, which is a positive in helping to break down the barrier of a large national collection.

The LAMN relationship with the National Museum has grown in recent years. As a network, we were not focused enough on reaching out to other national institutions. We were doing it individually but not as a network. We have done a lot of work in recent years and more recently with Ms Scarff and Ms Sikora in developing that relationship. Where we are now is a lot more healthy. We are definitely in a stronger place strategically as well on both sides of the island. We look forward to having a much bigger relationship which does not just involve us seeking or returning loans.

On what we are doing together, we are looking at a Famine project as potential work for the next couple of years, in respect of which there is a huge story to tell nationally and regionally. We have discussed the idea but funding may be an issue. The will exists to do work in this area. We believe the national and regional story in this regard is important. The mobility grant was mentioned. It is important, if we are to progress the move of objects from the National Museum to regional museums, that the mobility project is reviewed. It is a costly process. As mentioned by Ms Scarff, planning is a challenge for local authority museums. As our resources are limited, we tend to plan on the basis of a year to a year and a half. In light of the lead-in for loan requests, it can be challenging to get in on time and to address issues around availability and conservation. The mobility grant is key. We need more to do more.

On the new strategy, the master plan for the National Museum is finished. We are coming to the end of our current strategy and we will be reviewing the next one. The strong relationship we enjoy with the National Museum and the other national cultural institutions means we look forward to a more combined approach as we go forward.