Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 November 2016
34. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs her views on the proposed sale of a letter from Pádraig Pearse; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37213/16]
View answerThere exist a number of historically important original documents in the possession of the State written by Pádraig Pearse during the 1916 Rising and during his subsequent imprisonment. Following consultation with the relevant institutions under the aegis of my Department, it is a shared view that the amount being sought for this one letter – between €1m and €1.5m - was not justifiable in terms of expenditure of public monies and in the context of historical material already held.
