Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Engagement with the national cultural institutions on the reform agenda is ongoing and intensive. Work is ongoing bilaterally with the boards of directors of the National Library and the National Museum and regular meetings of my Department's reform committee have taken place to further the implementation of the Government's reform plan. I intend to seek Government approval in the coming weeks for draft heads of a Bill to give effect to the reform measures in respect of the boards which is being undertaken by my Department.

As part of a range of reforms agreed by Government under the public service reform plan, it was decided that the existing National Archives of Ireland governance model would be applied to the National Library of Ireland and the National Museum of Ireland. The proposed advisory council will operate pro bono in place of the existing boards. Board membership will be reduced significantly. The advisory council will have no role in relation to the day-to-day management of the bodies and will specialise in fundraising, fostering philanthropic relations and donations, and advice to the Minister on library and museum policy matters. The day-to-day management of the institutions will be a matter for their respective independent statutory directors. The proposed model is similar to that already in place at the National Archives, the success of which has been widely recognised in the House and further afield.

I have previously advised the House of the shared-services model that will be deployed across the three institutions through my Department. The model will include corporate support services and, by formal inter-institutional agreement, operational services. Regular meetings have been taking place between my Department and senior management in the National Library, National Museum and National Archives to implement a human resources shared support services function. This function will be carried out by the human resources unit of my Department and will cover all human resources matters arising in the relevant bodies. Progress has been made on identifying the work that will be undertaken by the unit and it is envisaged that the shared service will be in place shortly. The intention is that shared human resources support services will be implemented on an administrative basis pending enactment of enabling legislation. The institutions are also developing the requisite agreements in relation to shared operational services.

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The Deputy will be aware that overall savings of €20 million in enhanced service efficiencies and value-for-money were targeted in the public service reform plan. In that context, it is expected that savings in the region of approximately €1 million will be made initially across the institutions involved in the reform programme and funded from my Department's Vote. Further savings will be identified as the various cost saving measures are implemented. A further benefit from the rationalisation of support and operational services will be a less crowded administrative landscape, resulting in greater democratic accountability, less duplication of effort and clearer lines of responsibility for the citizen. It will also allow the institutions to focus on their core objectives of service to the public.

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