Vol. 398 No. 10
14 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach if he has had any discussions with the Trustees of the Chester Beatty Library concerning its future, in particular, any possible changes to the deed of trust and the relocation of the library to the campus at Belfield, in order to avail of the overall benefits of that relocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I have not had any such discussions. I understand that the Office of Public Works are advising the trustees, at their request, about proposed improvements to the present premises.
May I take it from the Taoiseach's reply in relation to discussions that neither he, nor any representative of his Department, has had discussions with the trustees on changes to the deed of trust having regard to the fact that his Department participated in a fairly substantial financial settlement recently arrived at? Am I to understand that that settlement was independent of any suggested or proposed changes in the way in which the library might be run or in the way in which the trust might be constituted?
Yes. It was just a settlement to deal with the particular current situation, nothing more than that, but certainly my Department have had no discussions with the trustees about any change in location. In fact in so far as my answer here is concerned it seems to indicate that there is no intention to change the location.
Let me ask one final supplementary on this matter. May I take it that taxpayers' money was used, with the full consent of the Taoiseach, to resolve an internal problem which was referred to on previous occasions in this House and that notwithstanding the fact that a substantial amount of taxpayer's money was being used no opportunity was taken by the Taoiseach's Department to correct or modernise some of the conditions of the deed of trust which some people might consider contributed in part to the original problem? Did we just pay the money and the situation is as it was?
I do not think the resolving of the staffing aspect had anything to do with the deed of trust. It was a matter of current administration. If the Deputy wants to ask me any questions about the deed of trust or proposed alterations to it I will certainly answer them but at the moment this discussion only dealt with the current staffing situation in the library. In addition, the Office of Public Works are talking to the trustees about possible improvements to the present premises. To some extent the improvement to the premises would arise out of the arrangements made in regard to staffing.
May I——
I want to bring in Deputy John Bruton who was offering earlier.
Is the Taoiseach satisfied with the speed of work of the trustees in coming to decisions on the material contained in the recent consultants' report on the operation of the Chester Beatty Library and would he be prepared at some stage in the future, if that progress is not sufficiently fast, to meet the trustees himself to impress upon them the need to deal with the matters contained in that consultants' report?
I sympathise with the Deputy's point of view. I have in fact asked for the decision of the trustees on the consultants' report to be expedited because I am anxious to place that consultants' report at the disposal of Deputies, as promised. I do not want to do that until I get the trustees' decisions. I am as anxious as the Deputy is to have those decisions expedited.
Keep the pressure on.
A final supplementary from Deputy Quinn.
Does the Taoiseach not share my grave concern and that of all Members of this House that a self-appointed, or effectively self reappointed perpetuating oligarchy, is in a position of trusteeship of artefacts, the value of which is inestimable — certainly hundreds of millions of pounds — whose current custodial safety is questionable and should at least be the object of the circumspective attention of this House? Is the Taoiseach saying to the House at a time when taxpayers' money was used to bail out a managerial-personality conflict that no opportunity was availed of by his Department to correct some of the problems identified in the report of the consultants he was responsible for appointing in the first place? Is that the extent of the matter?
I am trying to indicate to the Deputy that my Department used their good offices successfully to sort out this aggravating problem about staffing. When I am in a position to supply Deputies with the consultants' report perhaps we can then discuss whether the trustees deed should be altered.
A Cheann Comhairle——
I think I have given Deputy Quinn a lot of latitude on this question. This must be a very brief and final question.
The Deputy will understand that it will require legislation.
I merely wish to give notice that I would like to raise this matter on the Adjournment.
I will communicate with the Deputy in respect of that matter. Question No. 15 please.
