Radical changes are required to improve facilities at the Natural History Museum on Merrion Square, Dublin, according to an independent report.
The museum needs an immediate increase in staffing levels and a near doubling of the space available if it is to meet international standards for such museums, the study, published yesterday by the Royal Irish Academy, said.
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O'Donoghue yesterday received a copy of the report. He acknowledged the important role played by the museum as a popular destination for visitors but also as a key scientific resource for the study of natural history and biodiversity.
The academy commissioned a group of experts to make recommendations about the future of the museum. The chairman of the group, former marine biologist Dr Christopher Moriarty, said that a lack of staff and space were the single greatest problems affecting its proper operation.
It recommended a doubling of expert staff and a four-fold increase in overall staff numbers. It also suggested a near doubling of space by building an extension in the gap between the museum and Government Buildings. This would provide a restaurant and shop, extra display space and a lift, which is lacking in the existing building.
The report also highlighted problems including a lack of adequate records on the two million specimens in the collection.
The museum "is considerably younger than Newgrange but is of similar importance", Dr Moriarty said. It was developed during the time of Darwin, when the importance of biodiversity was beginning to emerge.
The report made no attempt to cost its recommendations, he said. Rather it represents a wish list of how to bring the facility up to accepted standards.
