The National Gallery has released a statement regarding its contract with Aramark to run its cafe space.
Word of the National Gallery’s recently awarded café contract with the food, facilities, and uniform services provider Aramark has been met with a series of backlash online as the company also provides catering to direct provision centres throughout the country.
The housing of asylum seekers in Ireland has become a “billion euro industry” according to an Irish Examiner report in 2020, but despite this, the living conditions for those in direct provision remain a subject of concern and scrutiny. Concerns about health, hygiene and human rights abuses in DP centres have been regularly highlighted since the system was first introduced in Ireland over 20 years ago.
The food served in direct provision centres has been widely criticised and described by NASC Ireland in a 2014 report as, “inedible, monotonous, too strictly regulated and culturally inappropriate“. That same report stated that the food provided does represent the cultural and religious needs of residents, and is said to have “a negative impact on the health and well-being families and children particularly”.
In a recent open letter, four artists criticised the National Gallery’s decision to partner with a company so intrinsically linked with the direct provision system, which they called “the greatest failing of our Government today”.
The letter, signed by artists Emma Roche, Brian Teeling, Salvatore of Lucan and Jonathan Mayhew, said the gallery’s relationship with Aramark “undermines” the art institution’s good work. Emma Roche and Brian Teeling have both removed their work from the National Gallery.
Massive respect to @brianteeling for removing his work from The National Gallery @NGIreland over their new contract with the same catering company @Aramark that profits from Direct Provision.#EndDirectProvision#EndDP pic.twitter.com/5tFkG0qF5q
— LANKUM (@LankumDublin) February 18, 2022
The National Gallery has since issued a statement on their recently awarded cafe contract with Aramark.
The statement reads:
As a public sector organisation, the Gallery is bound by Irish and EU procurement law as to how external suppliers tender for, and are awarded, contracts. The Office of Government Procurement sets the overall framework for public procurement and suppliers must meet the due diligence standards set by it. Aramark was awarded the contract following the tender process, as it scored highest on the prescribed assessment criteria. The Gallery is satisfied that the evaluation process was run correctly, and the contract awarded in line with procurement rules.
You can read their full statement HERE.
A spokesperson from Aramark told Lovin:
The policy surrounding Direct Provision is a matter for government.
Aramark operates 3 out of the 48 centres nationwide. Our role is to support the residents living in the three centres where we operate, and to uphold our commitment to treat all clients equally. Aramark is proud of our work and our people on the frontlines of these services, providing an important service to those living in the accommodation centres we operate, as well as to the State. We operate to the highest international standards, with our sites accredited to ISO22000, ISO9001, and the Q Mark.
Header image via nationalgallery.ie
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