asked the Taoiseach the steps he proposes to take to secure the Ernie O'Malley collection for the Irish people; and if he will make suitable arrangements by providing a museum to house the collection in Castlebar, County Mayo.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers - Ernie O'Malley Art Collection.
11.
The offer of the Ernie O'Malley Art Collection as a gift to the State was made conditional on the collection being housed in a museum in Castlebar, County Mayo, to be constructed and maintained by public funds. This Government, in the light of the capital and running costs involved in the project, confirmed the decision of the previous Minister for Education taken in July 1982 with the agreement of the then Tánaiste and Minister for Finance not to proceed with the provision of that museum.
If the intendant donor wishes to discuss alternative proposals in relation to the collection I would be delighted to consider them. I am, of course, also open to any positive proposals which may be put forward by the local authorities in County Mayo.
Will the Minister agree that a unique opportunity has been offered to the State to acquire the O'Malley collection and would he also agree that it had been agreed to provide enough capital to have this museum constructed in Castlebar? How can the Minister justify the loss of such a priceless collection for a measly £177,000?
The Deputy made a number of points, many of them incorrect. The offer of the gift was made clearly on condition that the collection would be housed in a purpose built building in Castlebar. The cost of that, in 1981 terms, was in the region of £417,000 with an ongoing cost of £60,000 per annum for running it. The collection is valuable. It was valued by the William Doyle Galleries of New York in 1978 and updated in 1981 at $412,000. Some of the items in it are valued at between $10,000 and $25,000 but 70 per cent of the items fall into the range of between $10 and $300. In view of this the Government confirmed the decision of the Minister for Education in the Government of which the Deputy was a member not to proceed.
I do not want to be drawn into what any other Administration did. I am asking the Minister why he has not availed of the opportunity to repatriate some considerably expensive documents and other priceless artefacts which could be acquired for this State for a small sum. It has been suggested in the west that if Mr. Ernie O'Malley's widow had bequeathed this collection to be located in Sligo town, the money would have been found fast enough. The Minister is committing an act of cultural savagery so far as the west is concerned. It is about time the Minister practised what he preaches to others and did something for the cultural aspects of this country.
The decision of this Government was the same decision arrived at by the Minister for Education in the Government of which the Deputy was a member. On the logical arguments produced by that Minister, we had to agree that it was the correct decision in view of the expenditure involved. There was ample time since 1978, when the Ernie O'Malley collection was first offered, ample time under three Fianna Fáil Administrations, if they wished to proceed with the proposal to have it located in Castlebar, but they did not.
In accordance with an order of the House I must now move to priority questions.
I would like the matter to be raised on the Adjournment because the last statement by the Minister of State was inaccurate, incorrect and misleading.
It was also very crude.
I will communicate with Deputy Flynn.
On a point of order, this side of the House were informed by the Chief Whip's office that the Taoiseach would be making a statement at 3.45 p.m. today and that a copy of that statement would be given to us 15 minutes in advance. Let me point out to the Chief Whip that, if he has the statement for us 15 minutes in advance, we are here to receive it.
(Dún Laoghaire): I said that the Taoiseach would make a statement after the Order of Business, not at 3.45 p.m.
The Order of Business will be at 3.45 p.m. Is there any method in the affairs and procedure of this House?
(Dún Laoghaire): I said 15 minutes after the Order of Business.
The Deputy should not give orders to the Chair. The Chair has no input into this. The Deputy has ways and means open to him.