DISCONTENT has arisen among staff at the London Irish Centre following news that the centre’s Arts Director is to carry out his duties from Ireland.
Gary Dunne, whose salary is partly funded by Irish taxpayers, will remain in his current position but will carry out duties from Dublin rather than being based at the centre’s Camden premises.
He will travel to London “every two weeks” as part of a new brief that has been sanctioned by the centre’s director, David Barlow.
But the move has angered some staff at the centre, which is the largest beneficiary of the Irish Government’s Emigrant Support Grant dedicated to making resources available to Irish emigrants in Britain.
Last year, the London Irish Centre received £557,000 from the emigrant support programme (ESP).
One insider told The Irish Post that Mr Dunne’s relocation has left staff at the centre “very angry”, adding: “It is the London Irish Centre. You are supposed to be in London. It is not the Dublin Irish Centre.”
Mr Barlow confirmed that Gary Dunne would fulfil his brief as Arts Director from Ireland – a move he said would “raise the profile” of the centre.
A Freedom of Information request by The Irish Post revealed that £31,500 of the centre’s ESP grant was spent in 2013 on the Arts Director post.
Mr Barlow would not disclose details of the position’s current salary, or what percentage of it is derived from grant funding.
In its ESP application for 2014, obtained by The Irish Post through the Freedom of Information request, the London Irish Centre outlines that among other responsibilities its Arts Director will “work closely with welfare colleagues to encourage participation from welfare clients” and “promote Irish cultural events across London under the LIC brand”.
Mr Barlow said the nature of modern communication allows greater flexibility for the role. He added that he sees no reason why such a move would be “detrimental” to what the centre is trying to achieve.
Arts director Gary DunneBut sources at the centre have raised questions about whether the role can be fully performed from Dublin. When contacted, Mr Dunne said the move has the full support of the LIC Board of Trustees.
“I'll be alternating Dublin-based work with commuting to London every fortnight,” he said. “My full-time work for the LIC will continue as is. This is on-strategy for the LIC and has full support of our board and SMT. Our funders are also fully aware of the situation.”
Mr Barlow, who also confirmed that a new arts officer post – a self-funded position – has been created in recent months, added: “Part of our strategic plan is actually to increase our profile on the island of Ireland.”
An email sent by Mr Barlow to staff after a team meeting last week, and seen by The Irish Post, addressed the handling of the relocation and the staff dissatisfaction.
A spokesperson for the Irish Embassy in London said: “We are aware of the move. Staffing issues are purely matters for employers.”
The unrest comes just weeks after the Irish Elderly Advice Network vowed to campaign over the future use of Kennedy Hall – a key asset based at the LIC which has been subject to lease constraints throughout the last decade.
It hopes to establish a National Centre of Older Irish people at the centre to provide help, advice and support services.
See More: Arts Director Gary Dunne, London Irish Centre
