My understanding is that the Deputy is referring to a newspaper report of remarks made at the prompting of a journalist during the visit by the Ethiopian Prime Minister to the Chester Beatty Library. I can confirm that no formal request regarding the return of religious manuscripts as referred to has been received by my Department. However, should any such request be received, I will be very happy to pursue the identification of whatever Ethiopian material is held in State possession in Ireland and consider the legal status of such material in the context of pursuing maximum cultural co-operation between Ireland and Ethiopia. In this connection the collections in the Chester Beatty Library are the property of the Chester Beatty Library Trust. In relation to any claim to ownership of any artefacts in State possession, a high standard of proof would clearly be required to substantiate the claim.
For the Deputy's information, a catalogue of material held by the Chester Beatty Library was published some 40 years ago. Microfilm copies of the material were provided for the University of Addis Abbaba in Ethiopia.