Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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97. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to provide the list of museums, universities and archives in Britain contacted by the advisory committee on the restitution and repatriation of cultural heritage in An Chomhairle Oidhreachta, requesting the return of archived material taken from Ireland, since its establishment in 2023. [34590/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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In December 2023, my predecessor - the then Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media - established an Advisory Committee on the Restitution and Repatriation of Cultural Heritage to advise the Government on issues relating to the restitution of historically and culturally sensitive objects in Ireland.

The Advisory Committee comprises independent experts in this field, including representatives from the National Cultural Institutions, key Government Departments, the Heritage Council, as well as the wider museum, claimant and academic sectors. Further information about the membership of the Advisory Committee may be found here; www.gov.ie/en/press-release/aaf3e-minister-martin-announces-the-first-meeting-of-new-advisory-committee-on-the-restitution-of-cultural-heritage/.

The Advisory Committee is tasked with developing policy advice and national guidelines on the restitution of cultural heritage objects in Ireland that may have been illegally or unethically elicited, or traded. It will also address matters pertaining to items of Irish origin in international collections and how best to repatriate these, if necessary and when appropriate. This approach is grounded in the research and evidence of best practice internationally. The Advisory Committee will also provide guidance on related matters, including provenance research, to cultural institutions and other bodies that have responsibility for managing historic collections. The Committee is not engaged directly with museums, universities and archives in Britain on any specific cases.

Progress is well underway on this work and I look forward to the outcome of this process.