Museum workers in Ireland are facing precarious contracts and toxic working conditions, according to Dr. Emma McAlister’s blog post for the International Council of Museums.

Only 6% of museum staff have fixed-term contracts lasting up to five years, with around 52% relying on temporary or rolling contracts, and 27% working as volunteers. This instability creates a culture of silence regarding mistreatment and unhealthy hierarchies.

In the UK, 16% of cultural workers are paid below the living wage, highlighting the broader issue. Underfunding is an underlying factor in the low pay and fragile job security for museum staff.

Governments have pledged recent investments to boost the sector, such as Ireland’s €274,000 for local museums and Northern Ireland’s £40 million in funding. However, it remains unclear how these funds will be used to address staff retention issues.

The Irish museum sector needs a “long-overdue reckoning” with the help of governments and funding bodies, according to McAlister, to ensure that cultural heritage is valued properly by all involved.