asked the Taoiseach if it is proposed to accept a seventeenth century inlaid cabinet together with a set of rare Florentian books offered as gifts to the nation by their owner who is now resident in Madrid.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Gifts to Nation.
1.
When these items were offered on loan in 1970 to the National Museum and the National Library it was indicated that it was not the practice to accept items on loan and that, in any event, the items were not relevant to any of their collections. In 1972 the National Library and Museum were again consulted and recommended against acceptance.
I propose to follow the advice of the experts in this matter.
Deputy Wilson, our spokesman on education and cultural matters and the person who put down the question, is absent today, and I would like to ask a supplementary question, particularly since it was when I was Taoiseach this offer was first made. Would the Taoiseach indicate whether, at a later stage, the cabinet offer on loan was changed to an offer as a gift subject to certain financial arrangements being made about the offer of the Florentian books?
That is so. The latest offer was that the books were not offered as a gift but subject to a price to be agreed, and the cabinet was only on offer subject to the books arrangement being agreed.
Would the Taoiseach indicate whether, and at what stage, the offer of the books ceased to be a factor in the offer of the cabinet as a gift?
I do not think it ever ceased to be an offer but a price had to be arranged in respect of the books. The National Library, when consulted, did not regard the books as suitable for any of their collections, and it was on that basis that the matter was not proceeded with.
I accept the advice given to the Taoiseach that neither the cabinet nor the books were of sufficient interest to either the National Museum or the National Library. However, the matter was renewed shortly before the change of Government, and by that time international interest in the cabinet had been considerably increased to the extent that it was suggested that museums and art dealers of note in Britain were then taking a keen interest in the cabinet in particular. Could the Taoiseach say whether a subsequent offer of placing the cabinet in the State apartments in Dublin Castle or Arus an Uachtarán was considered by the Office of Public Works?
Apparently as recently as the 1st March of this year the National Library and the Museum indicated that they had given very full consideration to the offer when it was originally made and that they had no interest either in the books or the cabinet. Subsequently the Office of Public Works expressed the view that it was not proposed to accept the offer, because their advice, on the basis of expert information, was that it did not come within the type of furniture they had and the books were not suitable to any of the collections.
If the professional and expert advice given to the Taoiseach is to the effect that the items are not longer of interest, I naturally agree with the Taoiseach's acceptance of that advice. May I accept the matter as being closed in so far as the offer is concerned?
We appreciate the sentiments behind the offer, but, in all the circumstances, I am sure the Deputy will understand that we have to be guided by expert advice in this matter.