Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 January 2017
354. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the cost of moving artwork and paintings from location to location outside the State by his Department in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4039/17]
View answerAs separate financial records for expenditure on artworks and paintings were set up only in 2014, there are no separate financial records coded to artworks and paintings in 2012 and 2013. The figures for the cost of moving artwork and paintings from location to location outside the State by my Department for 2014, 2015 and 2016 is a follows:
|
Year |
Cost |
|
2014 |
€1,367 |
|
2015 |
€70,176 |
|
2016 |
€5,409 |
The costs for transport of art works is higher than usual in 2015 due to the movement of art works involving our Missions in Berne, The Hague, Brussels and Vienna.
Promotion of Ireland’s culture, arts and creative industries through our Embassy network is a key element of the work of our diplomatic Mission network, as set out in my Department’s Statement of Strategy. As such, we believe there is a significant value to Ireland in working with the National Gallery of Ireland and Irish Museum of Modern Art to promote culture and heritage, artists and their work internationally.
Art, along with craft, furniture etc., provides a means of showcasing Ireland to a wide and influential range of interlocutors. It is normal practice of all countries to display the arts and crafts of their countries in their Ambassadorial residences as a means of conveying the culture of the country that they are representing and promoting it.
