Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1208. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on the issuing of an export licence for paintings from the Alfred Beit Collection; if she will outline the dates on which the applications were submitted, the dates of any formal or informal enquiries between the foundation and her Department, either before the submission of the export licence request, during the process, or since the issuing; her views on the proposed sale of these paintings; if, at any stage, prior to or during the export licence process, she or any official of her Department were made aware of the proposed sale, either formally or informally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22245/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1202, 1203, 1205 and 1208 together.

My Department did not receive any application or grant any licence in respect of the recent export of paintings by the Beit Foundation, as applications for licences to export paintings and drawings within the European Union, under the Documents and Pictures (Regulation of Export) Act 1945, are issued by the National Gallery of Ireland. Responsibility for the administration of the licence applications for paintings, under the Documents and Pictures (Regulation of Export) Act 1945, was delegated to the National Gallery of Ireland in April 1985.

A licence was granted by the National Gallery of Ireland, under the Documents and Pictures (Regulation of Export) Act 1945, for the recent export of paintings by the Beit Foundation. I will ask the National Gallery to provide a list of any export licences issued by it by year, from 2010 to date in 2015, for paintings or other works of art that are currently in the ownership of the Alfred Beit Foundation, or were assets of the Foundation at the time of grant of any such licence.

I was informed of the decision of the Beit Foundation by the Chair of the Trustees two days in advance of the public announcement. Neither I nor my Department was informed in advance of any decision of the Foundation or the National Gallery in regard to the matters referred to in the Deputy’s Questions.

As I have stated in replies to previous Questions regarding this matter, the administration of the Beit Foundation, which owns and operates Russborough House, is a matter for the Trustees and my Department has no role in the matter.