Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The National Cultural Institutions Act 1997 establishes the National Museum of Ireland as an autonomous body. As Minister, I have no involvement in the day-to-day running of the National Museum of Ireland. Section 29 of the Act provides that the director of the museum shall carry on, manage and control generally the administration and business of the museum and perform such other functions as may be determined by the board. The code of practice for the governance of State bodies as published in 2016 sets out the key functions which all State boards should fulfil including reviewing and guiding strategic direction and major plans of action, risk management policies and procedures, annual budgets and business plans, setting performance objectives, monitoring, implementation and State body performance and overseeing major capital expenditure and investment decisions. A board is required to promote the capacity of the State body, including the capability of its leadership and staff, and is also responsible for holding the CEO and senior management to account for the effective performance of their responsibilities.

The National Museum is a valuable part of the cultural heritage of the State. Like all cultural institutions, it suffered during the economic difficulties of recent years, but is now looking to prepare for the future in a strategic fashion. I have been pleased to have been able to increase the resources provided to the board in recent years. The museum has also commissioned a master plan to provide for its future development. This should be a valuable contribution to steering the museum's development in the years to come. I appointed a new board to the museum in June 2016 under a dynamic new chair, Catherine Heaney, and I am confident it has a wide range of skills to address the challenges facing the museum and to ensure that the staff and management continue to deliver an excellent service to the public across the museum's four locations.

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