Vol. 457 No. 6
30 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the total number of items in care of the National Museum; the number of items donated in each of the years 1990 to 1994; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15614/95]
The Deputy will be aware from my reply to a previous Parliamentary Question on 1 February 1995 that the National Museum is the repository of the major part of the portable heritage of this country, that individual items in the care of the National Museum are recorded in the context of their appropriate collection in the museum and that given the extensive nature of these collections and the continued movement occurring within these collections, it is not possible to give an exact figure as requested by the Deputy. However, I understand that there are approximately seven million items in all at present in the care of the National Museum. Of this figure, approximately 12,000 items were donated over the years 1990-1994 inclusive.
