Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 11 Oct 2000

Vol. 523 No. 5

Written Answers. - National Museum.

Ulick Burke

Question:

248 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the plans she has to relocate items of local interest in storage at the National Museum to suitable accommodation for display in other cities and towns; the quantity of items and material held in storage which could be suitably decentralised; if specific named items could be relocated on request; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21514/00]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera):

The museum's loan policy provides that original museum objects can only be loaned to museums and other venues which can meet acceptable standards of curatorship, security, environmental control, display and insurance. The loan of such objects is subject to the exhibition and research requirements within the museum and to the availability of resources to service loans.

The National Museum of Ireland already has substantial loans of artefacts in a number of locations throughout the country. At present for example, artefacts are held in county and city museums at Limerick, Cork, Tralee, Clonmel, Monaghan, Cavan, Dundalk, Letterkenny, Waterford and Ennis. These museums are all under the control and management of local authorities and are funded by them. I have an active policy of encouraging the development of further county museums to which similar loans can also be made by the National Museum of Ireland.

Furthermore, a new Irish Folklife Museum will open at Turlough Park House, Castlebar, County Mayo in 2001 which will house the national folklife collections. This project is being carried out by the National Museum of Ireland with the co-operation and assistance of Mayo County Council and will bring a major national collection to the west of Ireland.

The museum also has loans of artefacts at Avondale House, County Wicklow, Swiss Cottage, Cahir, County Tipperary, Muckross House, Killarney, County Kerry and Derrynane House, County Kerry, among others.

In October 1999, I designated the first eight museums and their curators for purposes of acquiring and holding on behalf of the State archaeological objects which are primarily of local interest. These designations are carried out under the terms of the National Monuments Acts, 1930 to 1994, and the National Cultural Institutions Act, 1997. This provides a further impetus to the development of the museum service in Ireland and further affirms my commitment to encourage growth in this area and access for the public to museum collections of the highest standards in every part of the country.

It is not possible to quantify the number of objects in the National Museum which might be available for display in locations outside the museum. The National Museum of Ireland is constantly acquiring new objects for the national collections, some of which are suitable for display while others are more appropriate to the research collections because of their type or condition.

The museum's existing loans have all been made in response to requests for specific named items. The Director of the National Museum of Ireland will continue to respond to all requests for loans of specific items, in accordance with the museum's loan policy. The National Museum requires a minimum of 12 months notice for requests for substantial loans of material.