Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 March 2022
309. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the work of her Department in helping national cultural institutions to extend opening hours one day each per month during Spring 2022 on a pilot basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10983/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce which I published in September 2021 recommended the extension of opening hours of the NCIs one day each per month during Spring 2022 as a pilot. This is to help support a more vibrant and inclusive Night-Time Economy. My Department recently met with the Council of National Cultural Institutions (CNCI) to offer support where required to develop this action further and the National Cultural Institutions are working together with the Department to progress this.
In addition, my Department has provided additional support to the National Cultural Institutions through the allocation of a further €5 million in Budget 2022. This funding was intended to support a range of initiatives, including the extension of opening hours where deemed practicable. To that end:
- The Crawford Art Gallery has planned extended opening hours on Thursday evenings, closing the galleries at 8pm instead of 5pm and offering free tours for visitors.
- The Chester Beatty Library have programmed late night opening on Wednesday evenings, for which various talks, tours and events have been organised. This will include a special lecture series to coincide with the exhibition "Meeting in Isfahan: Vision and Exchange in Safavid Iran," which will take place onsite in the lecture theatre, as well as online.
- IMMA extended its opening hours on a trial basis from 22nd October 2021 as part of its 30th birthday commemoration. This extension of opening hours is effective three days per week. IMMA is continuing with this trial of extended hours through Spring 2022.
- The National Museum of Ireland is currently working with its staff and management teams to enable the piloting of extended hours in Spring / Summer 2022.
While the NCIs under the aegis of my Department are independent in their management of day-to-day matters, I am delighted that they have taken the initiative to make their world-class exhibitions and programmes available to the public through these extended hours.
