Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 25 Nov 1998

Vol. 497 No. 3

Written Answers - National Museum.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

166 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the degree to which items of historical interest have access to national cultural institutions; if she will give details of the scale of artefacts which are not on display at these centres due to lack of space; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25145/98]

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

I presume the Deputy is referring to the National Museum of Ireland in this question which is the national cultural institution under the aegis of my Department which is primarily entrusted with the collection and display of historical items. In answering this question I refer the Deputy to my replies to Questions Nos. 25 of 7 May 1998, 89 of 7 May 1998 and 17 of 15 October 1998. I also presume that the Deputy is referring to those artefacts which are suitable to be on public display in the normal course.

The National Museum of Ireland holds collections of material in storage which are not available for public display. It is in the nature of collecting institutions that it is neither appropriate nor possible to have all the artefacts in their collections on public display at all times. In general, however, a significant proportion of the collections of these institutions, at any one time, would be available for some form of public viewing.

The main collection still in storage in the National Museum is the folklife collection although a selection of material is now on display at the National Museum's new premises at Collins Barracks and some objects are on display, on loan, in various county museums. However, the development of a National Museum of Ireland Folklife Centre at Turlough Park House, Castlebar, County Mayo, will ensure that a much fuller range of this collection will be available for public viewing. The geological collection of the National Museum is also in storage. However it is planned to mount exhibitions drawn from this collection in a new exhibition gallery for earth sciences in the plans for the next phase of development at Collins Barracks. Much of the art and collections of the museum is now on display at Collins Barracks. Key artefacts from the museum's antiquities division are usually on public display. In relation to other artefacts held in storage selections are provided for public display from time to time as appropriate and as the theme of an exhibition requires. For instance, artefacts from the ethnographical collection were displayed as part of a Spice Islands exhibition. In some cases reserve collections of the National Museum are also accessible to the public, particularly for the benefit of researchers. Viewing can be arranged by appointment.

The National Museum as with any of the other institutions has its own individual collection policy based on resources available and on priorities in relation to its own individual requirements. Items of historical significance which are appropriate to an institutions collection can thus be acquired subject to the availability of resources.

As I indicated in a previous reply to the Deputy, in order for the National Museum to properly manage its collections, and not just for reasons of display, it is necessary that all its artefacts be documented and that an easily accessible record of these collections be in place. In the past such documentation systems have been largely paperbased and were not always maintained in a consistent manner. In recognition of the needs in this area, a programme was initiated in 1995 to prepare a computerised inventory of the National Museums collection, focusing in the first instance on those objects in the art and industry collection due to be transferred to the new National Museum facility at Collins Barracks.

This inventory of artefacts which is a long-term process of properly documenting all of the records relating to the museum's extensive collection, is ongoing at this time. I am pleased to say that to date many thousands of items have been included in the inventory.

I look forward to sustained progress in this most important aspect of the National Museum's activities in the future and I am confident that with the records thus created, it will be possible to make available to researchers and the public alike a wider range of information regarding the collections of the National Museum.