The National Museum of Ireland Customer Charter outlines our commitment to providing an excellent service in accordance with the Principles of Quality Customer Service and Visitor Experience approved by the Government.
Our Mission:
The National Museum of Ireland (NMI) collects and preserves objects relating to the history and culture of Ireland, and its place in the wider world. These collections date back more than two centuries and provide a vital connection to our shared and individual past. The Museum strives to create, support and strengthen an expression of national pride. We aim to provide visitors with a unique and authentic resource to promote learning, creativity, and inspiration through engaging experiences.
Our vision for the National Museum of Ireland is a museum of international quality, preserving and presenting the stories of Ireland and its place in the world.
Our purpose is to:
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Collect and conserve Ireland’s portable material heritage and natural history.
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Interpret and promote the collections and make them accessible to audiences at home and abroad through exhibitions and public programmes.
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Provide an excellent and inclusive visitor experience to our four museum sites.
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Be the trusted voice on relevant aspects of Irish heritage, culture and natural history.
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Encourage and facilitate education, research and scholarship pertaining to the collections through the provision of access to our reserve collection at the Collections Resource Centre.
Our Values:
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Stewardship: We are responsible for the professional care and interpretation of the national collections, informed by rigorous research, scholarship and staff expertise.
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Innovation: We aim to increase our capacity to share our collections across physical and online platforms, exploring innovative ways of collaborating across education, research, museum studies, economic development and science.
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Transparency: We strive to deal openly with all and operate strong corporate governance and compliance principles.
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Accessibility: We are for everyone. We will ensure our collections and activities are wide-reaching and will seek to engage with new audiences. We aim to provide universal access across all our sites.
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Collaboration: We will work with organisations and communities to maximise our impact and increase our interaction at local, national and international level.
Quality Customer and Visitor Experience Standards
Our commitment:
We want to provide you with the best possible visitor experience and customer service.
By excellent visitor experience you can expect.
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Knowledgeable and welcoming staff who will respond to your enquiries
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A safe and accessible visit, in person or online
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Engaging, clear and inclusive exhibitions and public programmes
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Visitor services and facilities that are clean, in working order and accessible.
This Customer Charter and action plan outlines the nature and quality of the service our customers and visitors can expect. It will be published online and displayed prominently at our sites.
Information Timeliness and Courtesy
Our commitment:
The National Museum of Ireland is committed to providing clear, timely and accurate information. You can contact us in a variety of ways: by phone, email, website and social media platforms, or in person, and your communication will be dealt with promptly and efficiently. We are committed to delivering a respectful and engaged high-quality service with courtesy and sensitivity. Our staff will provide full contact and reference details in all communications.
Communication:
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All visitors are treated with courtesy.
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We will be available to answer telephone calls during normal working hours, Monday to Friday and provide an effective telephone contact service for customers who wish to contact the National Museum of Ireland during out of office hours and at weekends. Please see detailed contact list below which may help you further with your enquiry.
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We will regularly update our out of office emails.
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We will acknowledge all enquiries within five working days of receipt and provide routine information on request. Requests such as Freedom of Information and Data Protection will have a longer response period.
Complaints
We aim to deliver the best possible experience and service to our visitors and customers. If you are dissatisfied with the quality of service that you have received, you have the right to complain.
Our commitment:
We are committed to resolving complaints promptly. We will ensure that all complaints will be dealt with in a fair and appropriate way and treated in confidence unless a complainant wishes otherwise (and subject to our obligations under Freedom of Information and the principles of Data Protection).
We recommend that in the first instance you contact the relevant individual or department in the Museum that you have been dealing with to let them know your concerns.
We will ensure that all complaints are acknowledged within 5 working days of receipt. We will ensure that all complaints are investigated fully and that a reply to your complaint is issued within 20 working days.If you are not happy with the initial response from the relevant individual or department you can escalate your complaint to our Corporate Affairs Unit by contacting (corporateaffairs@museum.ie). The NMI undertakes to keep a complaints register managed by the Corporate affairs unit.
If you are not happy with how we address your complaint, you can refer the complaint to the Ombudsman for consideration. We will cooperate with the Ombudsman or any other people or organisations that act for you. Nothing in this
appeals procedure affects your statutory rights under Freedom of Information, Data Protection or any other relevant legislation.
Office of Ombudsman, 6 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, D02 W773.
Telephone: 01 639 5600 Email: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie
Appeals
Our commitment:
The National Museum of Ireland will maintain a formalised, well-publicised, accessible, transparent and simple-to-use appeals system. The visitor has the right to appeal their complaint if they are not satisfied with the decision made. Their appeal will be reviewed by a member of the Senior Management Team. If a visitor is still dissatisfied, we will inform them of their further right to bring the matter before the Ombudsman (see details above).
Choice
Our commitment:
The National Museum of Ireland will provide choice, where feasible, in-service delivery. We are committed to using emerging technologies to ensure maximum access to our services and choice and quality of delivery.
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We will make full use of new and emerging technologies to broaden choices of services and ways that visitors engage with the national collection.
Better Co-ordination
Our commitment:
The National Museum of Ireland is committed to fostering a more co-ordinated and integrated approach to the delivery of our public services. We will ensure ongoing cooperation and collaboration with all our stakeholders to improve how visitors engage with the National Museum.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Our commitment:
The National Museum of Ireland will promote a service that is accessible to all, treating its visitors and customers with respect and courtesy ensuring that no-one is discriminated against by virtue of their gender, family status, marital status, religion, age, race, membership of the Traveller community, sexual orientation or disability. The Museum will identify and look to provide an experience that eliminates barriers for people experiencing poverty and social exclusion and for those facing geographic barriers in accessing the collections.
Physical access
Our commitment:
The National Museum of Ireland will ensure that we provide clean, accessible services and facilities to all our visitors. While the upper floors of two of our existing buildings are not accessible to mobility impaired individuals, NMI is in a process of capital re-development on these sites to address this within the timeframe of its current strategic plan. In cases where collections are not physically accessible the Museum will seek technology solutions to access to information.
Please find additional information here
Official Languages Act
Our commitment:
We are fully committed to providing quality services through Irish as appropriate. We will ensure that staff are always available to cater for visitors who may wish to communicate with us through Irish. The NMI’s Irish Language Scheme 2021-2023 is available to read here. this details how we are complying with the Official Languages Act 2003 as well as detailing the services that we provide through Irish and English.
Freedom Of Information Acts, 2014 (FOI)
Our commitment:
The FOI Acts gives members of the public the right to access all official records, in paper or electronic format. Access to information under the Act is subject to certain exemptions and involves specific procedures and time limits.
More information about Freedom of Information is available here.
Should you wish to make a request under FOI for access to records which you believe are held by the NMI, you should write to the FOI Officer stating clearly that you are requesting information under the FOI Acts. You may also submit an FOI request by e-mail to foi@museum.ie
How you can help us?
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Provide comments and suggestions about our service
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Report any issues that may arise
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Participate in any customer surveys that we conduct
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Giving us all the information we need to help you
We ask in return that you will:
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Respect the Museum galleries and spaces during your visit
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Treat staff with courtesy and respect
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Respect the rights of other visitors and customers
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Be fair and honest in your dealings with us
Monitor and evaluate performance/Consultation and Evaluation?
We will evaluate our performance against the standards set out in this Customer Charter on a continuous basis and publish this material in our annual report.
Table of Contacts
Service | Email address | Service overview | Response timelines |
Freedom of Information | foi@museum.ie | The FOI Acts gives members of the public the right to access all official records, in paper or electronic format. Access to information under the Act is subject to certain exemptions and involves specific procedures and time limits. Should you wish to make a request under FOI for access to records which you believe are held by the NMI, you should write to the FOI Officer stating clearly that you are requesting information under the FOI Acts. | All Freedom of Information requests will be acknowledged within 10 working days. Responses to requests will normally be given within 20 working days. |
Data Protection | dataprotection@museum.ie | A statutory service that provides a facility to an individual to exercise their subject rights requests (SRRs) under the General Data Protection Regulation in respect of personal data records held by the National Museum of Ireland. The request should be as specific as is possible to enable us to identify where the particular data is held. | A response to the access request will be issued as soon as possible and, in any event, within 30 days. If, due to the complexity and number of requests, more time is needed to process it, this period may be extended by a further two months. |
Gaeilge | gaeilge@museum.ie | We are fully committed to providing quality services through Irish as appropriate. We will ensure that staff are always available to cater for visitors who may wish to communicate with us through Irish. | Requests will be responded to within five working days. |
Marketing | marketing@museum.ie | Please contact the Marketing Department if you have any enquiries regarding the following: PR, Advertsiing, Events promotion, partnerships and sponsorships. | Requests will be responded to within five working days. |
Accessibility | accessofficer@museum.ie | The National Museum of Ireland will ensure that we provide clean, accessible services and facilities to all our visitors. While the upper floors of two of our existing buildings are not accessible to mobility impaired individuals | Requests will be responded to within five working days. |
Complaints | corporateaffairs@museum.ie | We are committed to resolving complaints promptly. We will ensure that all complaints will be dealt with in a fair and appropriate way and treated in confidence unless a complainant wishes otherwise (and subject to our obligations under Freedom of Information and the principles of Data Protection). | Requests will be responded to within five working days. |
Art and Industrial Duty Officer | artandindustrialdo@museum.ie | The Art and Industrial Division (AID) is responsible for approximately 530,000 artefacts reflecting Irish economic, cultural, social, industrial, political and military history over the last four centuries. Staff in the division also care for collections of Irish, European and Asian decorative arts. |
Requests will be responded to within five working days. |
Irish Antiquities Duty Officer | antiquitiesdo@museum.ie | The Irish Antiquities Division (IAD) is responsible for the archaeological, ethnographical, classical and Egyptian collections. The Division is also responsible for the administration of various statutory functions such as the acquisition of archaeological objects claimed as the property of the State and the regulation of licences to export and alter archaeological objects. | Requests will be responded to within five working days. |
Education | bookingscb@museum.ie | The vision of National Museum of Ireland (NMI) is to be a place of sanctuary and surprise, with education and engagement a core principle. The role and purpose of the Education Department is to inspire, engage, inform and sometimes challenge. We have a dedicated team for learning programming and partnerships across the four sites as well as a team for the Irish Community Archive Network. Delivery in the education department is delivered through formal education (in-person and online), diverse public programming (including tours & events), targeted and collaborative community engagement initiatives and one-off projects. If you have an enquiry regarding the above, please contact bookingscb@museum.ie | Requests will be responded to within five working days. |
Natural History | naturalhistory@museum.ie | The Natural History Division (NHD) cares for the Museum collections in the disciplines of zoology and geology, which number approximately two million specimens. | Requests will be responded to within five working days. |
Folklife | folklifedo@museum.ie | The Irish Folklife Division manages the national collection of objects reflective of Irish traditional life, understanding that traditions change and evolve and seeking to reflect that in our collecting. The Division continues to work with communities and explore themes for contemporary collecting. The Division is based at National Museum of Ireland – Country Life, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo. The majority of the Irish Folklife collections are housed at Turlough Park. | Requests will be responded to within five working days. |
Commercial | hire@museum.ie | The Commercial Department at the National Museum of Ireland leads and manages all revenue generation and commercial activities at the Museum. Our objective is maximising the commercial return to the Museum from activities which include large scale events, catering franchises, venue hire, film location, retail, and donations. We are tasked with generating new commercial opportunities from the Museums’ services and assets. Often, we collaborate with other department such as Education and Marketing, to research and enhance these commercial opportunities. |
Requests will be responded to within five working days. |
Directors Office | directorsoffice@museum.ie | The role of the Director’s office is to provide administrative support to the Director of the National Museums of Ireland. If you have any enquiries relating to the Directors Office please email, directorsoffice@museum.ie | Requests will be responded to within five working days. |
Human Resources | hrm@museum.ie | The Human Resources Unit provides the full range of HR services including recruitment, administration of staff pay and other terms and conditions, employee relations services and pension services. In addition HR is responsible for developing HR policies, people management initiatives, and learning and development which creates a framework for supporting staff and managers to work together to deliver on the overall mission and ongoing strategic development of NMI. | Requests will be responded to within five working days. |