Stella Cherry, Cork Public Museum:One of the most difficult aspects of this job is trying to work within the hierarchy of the City Council where you are competing against other projects- some museums fare very well, others don't.
I know there is a greater move to incorporating technology into exhibits internationally, but we tend to keep away from interactives here because they date easily.
The most popular item here? Roy Keane's jersey.
Dr Marie Bourke, Chair Irish Museum Association:All the major developments in Irish museums really took place in the 1990s. I think new technology is not just a major feature for museums but is growing in importance. It is difficult in Ireland because the culture sector was underfunded for so long. Even though that is changing there is still the situation where you have the main national cultural institutions government-funded, and the county museums are pretty much all local authority-funded.
Dr Hugh Maguire, Museums and Archives Officer, Heritage Council:In the 1990s, we became aware that the level of collections care was quite poor and so we set about putting a programme in place to raise levels of operation and professionalism. We feel strongly about the need to set up a museums council. Museums are places of inspiration, not just for looking back, but also to inspire moves to the future. The strengthening of our museum standards is imperative as we look to the future.