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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 13 Dec 1972

Vol. 264 No. 7

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - King's Inns Library Sale of Books.

19.

asked the Minister for Education if he will contribute pound for pound to the money collected by An Taisce to buy books from the sale of the King's Inns Library in order to give an indication of Government concern in the matter.

20.

asked the Minister for Education the dates on which export licences were sought by the Benchers of the Honorable Society of King's Inns for the export of the following books with manuscript notes: John Olde—Pico della Mirandula Opera Omnia (1557) and Isaac Papir —La variété des sciences (1688).

21.

asked the Minister for Education the dates on which export licences were sought by the Benchers of the Honourable Society of King's Inns for the export of the following books containing photographs over a hundred years old: C.W. Wilson and H.S. Palmer— Ordnance Survey of Sinai (1868) and J.F. Watson and J.W. Kaye— The People of India (1868, etc.).

22.

asked the Minister for Education if he will provide a list of all books from the King's Inns Library for which licences under the Documents and Pictures (Regulation of Export) Act, 1945, were issued.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 to 22, inclusive, together.

The only books or documents in respect of which applications for export licences were made to me under the provisions of the Documents and Pictures (Regulation of Export) Act, 1945, on behalf of the Honourable Society of the Benchers of King's Inns, and in respect of which export licences were issued by me, are those named in a list which, again with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to have circulated with the Official Report.

As regards Question No. 19, I have no information regarding the amount of money collected by An Taisce for the purchase of items from the King's Inns Library, but, in any event, I am not satisfied, as I said on a previous occasion, that considerations of the national interest would arise to an extent which would warrant a contribution from the State towards the expenditure which An Taisce incurred in the matter.

Following is the list referred to:

LIST of Books or Documents from the Library of the Honorable Society of King's Inns in respect of which applications for Export Licences were made to the Minister for Education and in respect of which such Licences were issued by him.

Catalogue No. (Sotheby & Co., London W.I)

Description

Date of Application for Export Licence on prescribed form

(April, 1972 Sales)

16th August, 1972

14

Atlas. A collection of 605 engraved double- page or folding maps and 13 title pages in ten volumes. (Amsterdam, Jean Covens & Corneille Mortier, G. Valok, Nic. Vischer, c. 1700-1750).

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15

Augustinus (Saint Aurelius) Confessiones. First Edition. (Strassburg, Johannes Mentelin, not after 1470).

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34

Bible in Latin—Sacra Biblia ad LXX inter- pretum diligentissime tralata. (Basle, Andreas Cratander, 1526).

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45

Calabria. A series of 66 hand-coloured engraved plates illustrating the earthquakes in Calabria in 1783. (?Naples, after 1783).

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60

Council of Trent. Canones et decreta Sacro- sancti Oecumeni et generalis Concilu Tridentini. Second Edition. (Venice, Paulus Manutius, 1564).

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64

Daniel (Rev. William B). Rural Sports in three volumes. (1805)

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70

Datus (Augustinus) Elegantiolae (Daventer, Richard Paffraet, 1489).

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82

Eusebius. Historica Ecclesiastica. (Paris, Pierre Levet, 1497).

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89

Fellowes (W.D.). A visit to the monastery of La Trappe in 1817. First Edition. (Wm. Stockdale, 1818).

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101

Hamilton (Sir William). Campi Phlegraei— Observations on the volcanoes of the two Sicilies—in three volumes (Naples. 1776— 79).

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165

Orme (Edward) and Mornay. A picture of St. Petersburgh. (Plates water-marked 1825).

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167

Orrelius (Abraham). Theatre de l'Univers. Third French Edition. (Antwerp, Christofle Plantin, 1587).

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171

Paratus. Sermones de tempore et de sanctis. (Paris, Francois Regnault, ? 1518).

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189

Ptolamaeus (Claudius). Geographiae libri octo recogniti jam...emdedatis per Gerardum Mercatorem. First Edition of Ptolemy with maps by Mercator.

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205

Rolewinck (Werner). Fasciulus Temporum. (Cologne, Ludwig van Renchen ? c. 1483).

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266

Wurzburg. Statuta Synodalia Herbipolensia. (Wurzburg, Georg Reyser, about 1488).

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439

Foxe (Captain Luke). North West Fox. (B. Alsop and Tho. Fawcet, 1635).

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595

Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied (Prince). Travels in the interior of North America, translated from the German by H. Evans Lloyd. (R. Ackermann, 1843-44).

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November, 1972, Sales.

7th November, 1972

206

Tirion (Isaac) (Atlas Van de Nederlandsche Provintien) plan of Amsterdam and 32 double-page engraved maps of the Netherlands hand coloured, with manuscript under according to which one map is missing, half calf, worn, upper cover loose (see Koeman III, Tir 7) ; sold as an atlas, not subject to return, folio Amsterdam (? 1757, Amsterdam, is dated 1742).

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Could the Minister tell me if he has considered modernising the legislation in relation to the licensing of the export of books? Is it not the case that a book has to be less than 100 years old to come within the terms of the export licensing requirements? Surely the books the export of which most needs to be controlled are books older than 100 years and has the Minister considered amending the law in this respect?

The position is that the terms of the Act are being reviewed for the purpose of ascertaining whether amending legislation may be necessary or desirable, but there are difficulties.

Could the Minister expedite matters in view of the danger of what has happened in relation to the King's Inns?

I am reviewing the matter but there are considerable difficulties involved.

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