Report on National Museum ‘harassment’ dubbed ‘a whitewash’
CULTURE Minister Heather Humphreys has been severely criticised in the Dáil over her department’s response to bullying and sexual harassment allegations that have engulfed the National Museum of Ireland.
A report by a senior department official found no evidence that it had received any allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour or that any protected disclosure was made to the minister between June 2011 and July of this year.
But the report was described as a “whitewash” by the chairman of the Oireachtas Arts Committee, Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín. He said it suggested there was “nothing to see here” despite “stacks of surveys” detailing staff concerns.
His comments came just days after Adrienne Corless, an archaeologist who used to work at the museum, told the Irish Independent she was repeatedly sexually harassed by a former colleague. She said the museum failed to adequately deal with the situation.
Although her allegations were upheld, the man involved only received a minor sanction and kept his job. She herself was eventually let go.
Ms Corless has also alleged she was bullied by a senior figure at the museum. This person has denied the allegation.
Addressing the minister during a tense exchange in the Dáil,
Mr Tóibín claimed the department had been informed of issues at the museum during the period covered by the report, yet this was not reflected in the document. He referred to one letter received by a department official and another letter sent to the museum and copied to the department providing information “as a protected disclosure”. Mr Tóibín said the first letter was “dismissed in this report as having no legal standing”. He also alleged solicitors had been employed “to fight” the protected disclosure. The TD further alleged that a psychotherapist employed by the museum “blew a whistle and sent a letter to your department in 2011 identifying exactly what has happened”.
It is understood that this letter was sent outside the timeframe covered by the department report.
When Ms Humphreys responded that she could not get involved in human resources issues at the museum, as it was an autonomous body, Mr Tóibín said her comments were “a statement worthy of Pontius Pilate himself, given that the minister operates the funding for the museum”.
Ms Humphreys (left) said that while she could not get involved in HR issues, she had provided additional support to the museum to deal with “legacy issues”. These included sanction to fill a number of HR positions at the museum.
The minister said there had been “a number of alarming allegations of sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace within the arts community”.
She said: “Everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity, respect, fairness and equality in the workplace, be it in the National Museum or anywhere else.”