Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I, too, welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for taking this matter which calls on the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to ratify the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property 1970. I believe Ireland should ratify this convention which deals with the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property. The Minister of State will recall that a number of relics have been stolen recently. I will list the most recent examples, which will tell the House how well-known the situation is. If Ireland ratifies this convention it could prevent it from happening. An artefact containing the heart of St. Laurence O'Toole was stolen from Christchurch Cathedral in the centre of Dublin in March. Last October the relic of the true cross, said to contain fragments of the cross on which Jesus was crucified, was stolen from Holycross Abbey in County Tipperary. Prior to this another relic, known as the precious shrine of St. Manchan, was found by the Garda. If Ireland ratified the convention on cultural property it would provide a legal safeguard to prevent this type of illicit trading, exporting and hoarding and using Ireland as a base to hide artefacts stolen from other countries.

This motion is aimed at protecting our cultural heritage from the real threat of the illicit trade in artefacts. I call on the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Deenihan, to bring a memo to Government fairly promptly and proceed with Ireland's ratification of the convention which would help ensure cultural objects stolen from Irish heritage sites and other locations can be returned to their rightful owners. It would mean that if relics or artefacts belonging to another country which had already ratified the convention were found here we would return them to that other country. Equally, if artefacts, relics or cultural property which belong to us were in another country they would be returned to us. The adoption of the convention would discourage illegal traders from purchasing cultural objects illegally acquired and exported from Ireland and would facilitate the return of cultural objects illegally exported from Ireland which are located in nations which have ratified the convention.

In the past year three important relics were stolen from religious sites in this country. Ratification of the convention would help provide a legal safeguard for these items, which are an important legacy of Ireland's rich cultural history. Ratification of the convention would also mitigate against Ireland becoming a location of choice for the storage and hoarding of cultural objects illegally imported because of its status as a non-signatory of the convention. This is not the reputation we want to have. Ireland is one of only seven EU states which are not signatories to the convention. The other countries are Austria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg and Malta.

The situation regarding the Elgin Marbles, the priceless sculptures from the Acropolis in Athens which are on display in the British Museum in London, is probably the best known example and causes ongoing rancour between Britain and Greece. Greece is understandably outraged at the ongoing presence of some of its most important cultural heritage in a foreign country. It is high time Ireland addressed this situation and signed up to the UNESCO convention on cultural property which would protect our cultural heritage. I am keen to hear the response of the Minister of State on behalf of the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. I am also keen to know when Ireland will ratify the treaty and when the Minister is likely to bring a memo to Government to start the process.