Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There exist a number of historically important original documents in the possession of the State written by Pádraig Pearse during the 1916 Rising and his subsequent imprisonment. Following consultation with the relevant institutions under the aegis of my Department, it is a shared view that the amount being sought for this one letter – between €1 m and €1.5 million - was not justifiable in terms of expenditure of public moneys and in the context of historical material already held.

It should be noted that the vendor can present the letter to the State as a heritage donation. Under the terms of section 1003 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 and section 94 of the Finance Act 2008 they will get 80% tax relief. It is a very good incentive for people who wish to donate that type of material to our cultural institutions.