Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 April 2013
33. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in view of the growth in tourism from Asia and the fact that a world famous collection of Tibetan paintings is housed at Collins Barracks, and that Dublin also has the Chester Beatty Library, his plans to establish a museum of Asian art in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19376/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are no plans to establish a Museum of Asian Art in Dublin as the collection of the Chester Beatty Library includes among its other material one of the finest Asian art collections in Europe and may not be disassembled. The Tibetan art in the important Albert Maurice Bender collection in the National Museum was donated to the Museum in 1932 by Bender in memory of his mother. It would be not be in keeping with the wishes of the donor to disassemble this collection either.
