Manx National Heritage says it cannot afford to open the Manx Museum on Sundays without cutting back elsewhere

That was the reason given after it was questioned, in Tynwald why the island’s main museum, in Douglas, did not open to the public on Sundays when all other national museums in the British Isles did.

Economic Development Minister Laurence Skelly said: ’MNH has confirmed that, while it would like to support opening on Sundays, it is unable to do so within its existing budgetary constraints.’

He admitted: ’Our department also would like to see extended openings on Sundays for both residents and visitors in support of our ambition to be a special place to live and work, and therefore we are committed to working with the new board of trustees to explore the options and costs required to achieve a limited opening on Sundays for the 2018 season.’

Mr Skelly was responding to a question tabled by Bill Shimmins (Middle), who said the ’equivalent national museums’ in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Dublin, St Peter Port and St Helier all opened to the public on Sundays.

Mr Shimmins asked: ’Why is the Isle of Man public being denied access to its national museum when our neighbours and peers benefit from the organisations in their places, which prioritise their financial resources to make their museums accessible at family-friendly times?’

He commented on the ’substantial financial support’ MNH received from the government and called on Mr Skelly to press the matter further.

The minister pointed out that other MNH sites did open on Sundays and the House of Manannan in Peel was open almost every day of the year, apart from some ’key holidays’.

He added: ’Manx National Heritage does have a portfolio of sites of which it does try to extend the opening hours and I would applaud them for extending that over the years working with our heritage railways and our tourism industry by expanding the season across the portfolio of sites.’

Mr Skelly revealed that MNH had told him a trial opening on Sundays for special events, from 2007-09 had proven inconclusive.

It sent a response to the minister that commented: ’With the continued pressure on budgets, opening on Sundays would currently require the diversion of resources from other areas of delivery.’