Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In my copy it refers to “details supplied” and is elaborated on as referring to the Women’s Museum of Ireland. Therefore, I not sure to what the Deputy is referring. It was quite clear to me that she was talking about a women’s museum.

As the Deputy will be aware, the decade of centenaries has provided us all with an opportunity to examine in more detail the historical role of women in Ireland. My Department produced a pop-up museum to mark 100 years of women in politics and public life on the centenary of the 1918 general election when women were able to vote and stand as candidates in parliamentary elections for the first time. To date, this exhibition has enjoyed a successful run in both the Coach House at Dublin Castle and in Istabraq Hall in Limerick and has now opened in its latest location at Donegal County Museum in Letterkenny. The exhibition looks at the key women who have contributed in the past 100 years to shaping the State and also looks at social and political issues which affected women by providing a timeline of the century - the feminisation of Irish history. Sinéad McCoole did a fantastic job in curating the exhibition.

We are all conscious that the representation of women in history has only recently received the level of attention that is justified. It is important that young people have a full understanding of the history of our society as it is only then they will be able to learn from that history. In my view, the institution best placed to tell the story of our society is the National Museum of Ireland. The museum is planning to develop and deliver a new permanent exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland - Decorative Arts and History, which will explore the last 120 years of Irish history. The exhibition will outline the sociopolitical and cultural changes in our country during this time. I see it as an ideal opportunity to explore the role of women and the contribution they have made to the development of our society.

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