Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 November 2017
72. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on the national cultural institutions sharing some of their collections with local museums and arts centres in order to ensure the wider population in rural Ireland are able to access same, in particular the Yeats collection being made available in the north west; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47864/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department operates a Mobility of Collections Scheme to support greater regional and local access to material held in the National Collections. Based on demand for the Scheme, an allocation of €25,000 has been provided for 2017. While this Scheme can be availed of by any organisation which achieves the required standards for protection, security, curation, etc. the matter of the dissemination of cultural objects from the National Collection is a day-to-day matter for the National Cultural Institutions.
I am delighted that, over the past number of months, I have been in a position to assist both the National Library of Ireland and the National Museum of Ireland in acquiring significant additional sets of letters, items of furniture and other artefacts from the Yeats collection. These acquisitions add substantially to the State’s archive of Yeats material. The co-operative approach in managing the acquisition between the Museum and Library will also allow for major exhibitions to be held in the future using the collections of both institutions.
