Pro Bono Is A Pox

Arts Minister Heather Humphries (top)arriving at government buildings this morning. Above: An ad for ‘pro-bono’ board appointments from the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht

Where does working for nothing mean nothing at all?

In October 2012, the then Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan announced a set of reforms pertaining to the 12 organisations that are funded by the department.

Namely the National Gallery of Ireland, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Crawford Art Gallery, National Archives of Ireland, National Museum of Ireland, National Library of Ireland, Irish Manuscripts Commission, Culture Ireland, Chester Beatty Library, the Heritage Council, An Coimisinéir Teanga (Irish Language Commissioner) and An Coimisiún Logainmneacha (Placenames Commission).

Under these reforms board members of certain institutions would operate on a pro bono basis {volunteer their services]- specifically the board members of the National Gallery of Ireland, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Crawford Art Gallery in Cork, Heritage Council and An Coimisiún Logainmneacha.

He also announced that, in regards to the National Archives of Ireland, the National Library of Ireland, the National Museum of Ireland and the Irish Manuscripts Commission, that a new National Museum and Library Advistory Council would replace existing boards and this work would also be carried out pro bono.

Since this announcement, positions have been advertised stating that they are ‘pro bono’ positions. One of those advertisements included positions at the Arts Council.

However,the following exchange took place during the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht meeting last Tuesday between Fianna Fáil’s Seán Ó Fearghaíl and newly appointed Arts Minister Heather Humphreys.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl:  “The Minister referred to the Arts Council, which is of enormous importance. Its budget for this year is €56.9 million. A new chair and members of the Arts Council were recently appointed. Those appointments followed an announcement by the then Minister, Deputy Deenihan, in March 2013 when he addressed the Royal Irish Academy that he would look at the boards of the cultural institutions. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, has probably heard more than she wants to hear about the cultural institutions; she will forgive me for raising such a matter again. The then Minister said he would reduce the membership of these boards and streamline them, with members serving on a pro bono basis. An advertisement was subsequently placed for those boards, including the Arts Council. Have things changed? Are the members of the Arts Council being remunerated? If they are being remunerated, who has approved their remuneration? Is their remuneration in addition to expenses they are being paid, if they are being paid expenses? If this has happened, was there any public announcement of the change of position by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, or is it something that has happened quietly behind the scenes?”

Later

Heather Humpheys: “Members of the Arts Council are being remunerated because new members get the same as the old members. If we want to change that, the legislation must change.”

Later

Ó Fearghaíl: “I understand the positions on the Arts Council were advertised by the Minister’s predecessor and were described as being pro bono positions. If people did not apply because they understood the positions were pro bono and it has now transpired that the members are being remunerated, how can the Minister reconcile that? Is the Department, the Minister or the Arts Council at risk of legal challenge from somebody who might have applied had he or she known the position would be remunerated and now finds that the successful applicants are being remunerated? There seems to be a significant inconsistency in that situation.”

Later

Humphreys:  “I understand that board vacancies were advertised on a pro bono basis. It could not be on a pro bono basis until the legislation was changed because all members of the Arts Council had to be treated the same. I did not see the advertisement at the time but it was on the basis that the Government’s intention was that it would be pro bono.  However, we cannot treat board members differently, so until the legislation is changed, they all get the standard remuneration.”

Good times.

Transcript via Oireachtas.ie

Deenihan outlines reform actions for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht organisations (October 10, 2012)