Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy will be aware that the archives and museums of the world are replete with treasures of diverse cultures, quite often displaced in uncertain circumstances from their point of origin.

Although the Deputy's inquiry is not specific to any particular item of interest, the aspiration is expressly towards an arrangement between Britain and Ireland. I agree that our intertwined national histories, most especially in the modern era, have left a tremendous number of items relating to Ireland and of significant historical interest in official and private collections throughout Britain and Ireland. The priority considerations in respect of such material must be towards preservation and, where possible, public access.

Although some might wish that every significant artefact of our national heritage could be included among the Irish national collections, I am satisfied with the cordial relations that permit artefacts to be moved on loan between collections from time to time for special exhibition purposes.

The issues raised by the Deputy relating to the provenance and acquisition of items in collections and archives are specific to each case and cannot be addressed as a totality.

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