Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

There are structures in place now through the museums standards accreditation programme to try to oversee what both of us are aware is the very sensitive issue of repatriation. There have been precedents recently. The National Museum of Ireland permanently repatriated two tattooed Maori heads to the Te Papa museum of New Zealand. There is an ongoing programme but what is important in the issue the Senator has raised is that we have a standard and an accreditation process for our museums for the repatriation of what he rightly said are cultural items of significance to other countries and, similarly, cultural items that are of significance to this country also.