Two artists have pulled their artworks from the National Gallery in Dublin in protest over a café contract being awarded to Aramark and are vowing to hold a protest on Friday.
It was recently confirmed that the multi-national firm had been contracted to run the gallery's café following a tendering process.
Aramark, which also owns the retailer Avoca, has proven controversial for their role in running food services in several direct provision centres.
Staff at the National Gallery have voiced their concern and frustration over the contract being awarded to the company.
Artist Brain Teeling and his fellow artist Emma Roche have pulled their artwork from the gallery.
Speaking on RTE's Drivetime this evening, Mr Teeling said that he had read an article online about the catering contract being awarded to Aramark and asked for his portrait to be removed.
He said: "The reason we're in opposition to this is because Aramark is one of the main benefactors of government policy which is direct provision and the people who live in those circumstances, it's abhorrent. And I actually consider it a dark stain on Ireland."
Mr Teeling described how having his work shown at the National Gallery of Ireland is a "really big deal" for a working class artist.
He said: "But it's more important to show solidarity with people who experience direction provision."
Mr Teeling's portrait is of Declan Flynn, who was killed in a homophobic attack in Dublin's Fairview Park in the early hours of September 10, 1982.
When asked about a protest being staged outside the National Gallery on Friday, Mr Teeling said: "Any protest toward the structure of direct provision is valid in my book and I hope with this protest it lets people zoom out and look at direct provision as a whole as well as the government offices involved for the tender to be awarded."
The planned protest will take place outside the National Gallery on Friday.
In a statement released on Monday, the National Gallery defended the decision to award the contract to Aramark.
They said: "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.
"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."
To get the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up for our free newsletter.
