The Museum of Irish Literature (MoLI) is considering making more than a third of its staff redundant as part of a cost-cutting move.
Dublin Museum, which opened in 2019 at Newman House on St Stephen’s Green, blamed the cuts on “increased operating costs” that outpaced growth in attendance and income.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), museum management said they are inviting 37 employees to voluntarily resign.
“It is estimated that approximately 13 layoffs will be required from across the museum’s operational staff, including front-of-house and back-office administrative staff,” the paper said.
But the museum warned that if the number of voluntary redundancies does not meet the required operating cost reductions, compulsory redundancies will be “introduced on a last-in, first-out basis”.
The museum said the “retrenchment arrangements” were statutory and the staff involved would receive just two weeks’ gross pay for each year of work, capped at €600 per week.
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The museum, located at Newman House on St Stephen’s Green, is a partnership between the National Library of Ireland (NLI) and University College Dublin (UCD). The brand name MoLI pays homage to the character Molly Bloom from James Joyce’s Ulysses.
“In 2023, MoLI experienced an increase in operating losses compared to the previous year,” the museum said in a statement.
It said it had trading income of around €1.4 million last year from admissions, retail, cafe concessions, event hire, grants, charity support and corporate partnerships.
“Attendance and revenue growth has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic, but this has been outweighed by increased operating costs for museums.
“At this time, the museum’s management believes that it can address the deteriorating financial situation through staff reductions and other targeted reductions in operating costs,” the museum said, adding that it is able to address the deteriorating financial situation through workforce reductions and other targeted reductions in operating costs. It said it also aims to enhance revenue generation through new approaches.
The museum said founding partners NLI and UCD will continue to contribute to the museum. The organization’s strategic plan includes expanding its “Philanthropy Support to Expand Pioneering Learning and Exhibition Programs” campaign.
“However, these disappointing operational decisions are necessary at this stage to restore the museum’s financial viability and create an operating cost model that can support the museum’s ambitions while strengthening its financial base to withstand future risks. “Cost-saving measures are needed,” the report states. Said.
“Redundancy will be legislated and will allow staff to access additional support in relation to CV and interview preparation to secure new roles outside the company.”