Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 July 2014
19. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on supporting the commissioning of a monument for Irish UN veterans in Collins Barracks, Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31213/14]
View answerThe National Museum of Ireland is an autonomous body with its own board and, as such, is responsible for all day-to-day operational matters. I, as Minister, have no statutory responsibility in relation to such operational matters, which would include the location of monuments on Museum sites. However, I have had enquiries made into this matter and understand that the National Museum was not party to any consultation to erect an Irish UN veterans monument on the Collins Barracks site. The Museum has advised that Collins Barracks is one of the constituent parts of the Museum and functions solely in that capacity to house and display the national collections in its care. The Museum has further indicated its view that any interpretation of the previous history of Collins Barracks as a barracks is done in that context only and accordingly it would not consider it appropriate to place a monument on the site as proposed.
As the Deputy is aware, military personnel who died on UN service are commemorated:
- by a monument in Merrion Square;
- on the annual National Day of Commemoration; and
- by their own respective military barracks.
All of those who died, both on military and non-military service with the UN, are commemorated on the annual National Day of Commemoration.
I am advised that consideration of any further such memorials would fall also under the purview of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Justice and Equality, as well as, potentially, the Department of Defence.
