Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am glad this matter was selected and I thank the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Deenihan, for coming in to deal with it.

As I understand it, differences of opinion on governance and board focus led to five members quitting the board of the National Concert Hall in early April. Mr. John McGrane, a senior figure at Ulster Bank and a member of the board, stated at the end of April that there was a disagreement on the board and some members chose to leave, saying:

It is as simple as that. That is their right and I respect them. Business will carry on.

The five members quit at the National Concert Hall's annual meeting in Dublin on 9 April following the circulation of a note to members of the board which was critical of the position of some unnamed members. The resignations are the culmination of a split in the board that has been evident throughout the past year. The note, drafted by Mr. McGrane, stated that there were "professional differences" with some on the board. A copy was also sent to Minister, Deputy Deenihan, who attended the annual meeting but who did not address Mr. McGrane's note, although he may wish to say otherwise now.

Those who resigned are Mr. Pat Heneghan, Mr. Bruce Arnold, Mr. Artemis Kent and Ms Patricia Slavin. The National Concert Hall board chairman, Ms Margaret Ryan, who had previously indicated her intention to stand down, also formally resigned at the meeting. The board is ordinarily comprised of 15 members, including the chairman. The board is understood to be split on the running of the National Concert Hall in general and on strategies for the future. The differences "were on board governance and board focus", Mr. McGrane stated. These were not related specifically to financial or artistic concerns. He stated, "They were purely about the focus of the board", and "It is my belief that the focus of the board should be on being positive and proactive in the best interests of the hall."

Those who resigned were appointed to five-year terms on the board in July 2011 by the Minister, with Ms Ryan appointed to the chair last year. I note Ms Ryan was also appointed a director with Fáilte Ireland, while Mr. McGrane was appointed to the board of the concert hall by the Minister in 2011.

In a statement, the Department confirmed that the four ordinary members of the board who stepped down on 9 April had done so "due to differences on the board". The statement added:

The matters that were raised are matters for resolution by the board. The main purpose of the Minister's address to the board on April 9th was to inform the board that the Government has decided to place the National Concert Hall on a statutory footing.

It also confirmed a number of new appointments to the board, including new chairman, Mr. Gerry Kearney, a retired Secretary General of the then Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Mr. Kearney will take the position as chairman on an interim basis until the new legislation has been enacted. This development will trigger the establishment of a new board. Others appointments include Ms Maura McGrath, who has over 20 years' experience working at senior management and executive levels in the private and public sectors; Mr. Barney Whelan, director of communications and corporate affairs at An Post; Professor Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, a pianist, composer and academic who holds the professorship of music at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick; and Ms Rebecca Gageby, head of programmes and administration at the Royal Irish Academy.

The taxpayer, as the principal funder of the National Concert Hall, has a right to know what issues currently divide the board at the National Concert Hall, what strategies are in dispute, what opinion the Minister has on this dispute and whether taxpayers' best interests are served by this dispute.

I am conscious that the board and management of the concert hall have done a superb job over the years. The most recent annual report available suggests that approximately €2.4 million of subvention was available to the hall in 2012 and it returned a modest surplus of just over €100,000. It is deeply distressing to see an institution of State that has so much positive achievement to its credit be undermined as a result of board conflict at this time, and I suppose what we are doing today is providing the Minister with an opportunity to assure the country that efforts are afoot to ensure that whatever conflict exists can be resolved speedily.

See this speech in context