Maureen Kennelly has announced her intention to resign as director of the Arts Council next month.
It comes as the council is due to appear before the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday concerning the failed project to develop an IT system for the organisation which cost nearly €6.7 million.
In communications to staff, Ms Kennelly said she will be leaving her position soon after the Oireachtas committee hearings are complete.
The controversial project sparked a full review into the operations of the council, after Minister for Arts and Culture Patrick O’Donovan said an initial report found it was not prepared for the scale of the IT project.
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Ms Kennelly, who was appointed in April 2020, told staff her term as director was due to finish this month, adding that last December, the board of the Arts Council made a business case for her contract to be renewed for a further five-year term.
However, following the publication of the Arts Council’s annual report in February, which included details of the IT project costs, Ms Kennelly said the Minister refused to sanction the renewal.
The board subsequently suggested that a decision on the renewal of Ms Kennelly’s contract be deferred until after the work of the review group was complete, she said.
Ms Kennelly told staff the board was “disappointed” that the department could not see a way to do this, adding that she was subsequently offered a short-term contract with conditions she felt she “could not accept.”
She told staff it has been an honour to lead the council through “tumultuous and exciting times” in the arts.
In a statement, the board said it was with “deep regret” that Ms Kennelly will step down as director in June.
“Maureen concluded her five-year term on 4 May and has generously agreed to remain in her role to represent the Arts Council at upcoming Public Accounts Committee and Oireachtas hearings,” it said.
Noting that Ms Kennelly was appointed during the “height of the Covid-19 pandemic,” the board said she led the organisation through an “exceptionally challenging time.”
“Under her leadership, the Arts Council underwent a period of significant cultural change, with a strong focus on organisational development and staff wellbeing.
“She successfully resolved long-standing legacy challenges and brought renewed strategic clarity to the council’s work.
“Together with the council, she secured unprecedented increases in State funding for the arts – enabling artists and organisations across the country to create and present work of outstanding quality. She also championed higher professional standards and fostered a climate of trust and respect across the wider arts sector,” it said.
Maura McGrath, chair of the Arts Council, said Ms Kennelly is “truly of the arts.”
“For her, the role of director was a vocation, not merely a job. Her commitment and passion were evident every day and are widely acknowledged across the sector. We are deeply grateful for her unwavering dedication and her loyal service to the arts community,” she said.
