Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 May 2026
17. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport for an update on the work of the Advisory Committee on the Restitution and Repatriation of Cultural Heritage, specifically on matters pertaining to items of Irish origin in international collections and how best to repatriate these, if necessary and when appropriate. [33098/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issue of restitution and repatriation of cultural heritage is a complex one, involving sensitive matters, especially against the backdrop of the current global context and discourse. The Advisory Committee on the Restitution and Repatriation of Cultural Heritage was 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. As part of its work, the Advisory Committee considered the associated legal, ethical, policy, procedural, and institutional issues, and reviewed the international best practice research available in this area. In 2024, the Heritage Council undertook a national survey to better understand the scope and scale of cultural heritage collections in Ireland. These findings have significantly informed the Advisory Committee's work and will also be of great interest and benefit to the cultural heritage sector.
The Advisory Committee has been expertly chaired by Sir Donnell Deeny, Chairman of the U.K. government’s Spoliation Advisory Panel and member of the Court of Arbitration for Art in The Hague. The Heritage Council provides the Secretariat, and the Committee's membership brought together diverse experiences, expertise, and perspectives from potential claimant communities, the national cultural institutions and other collecting institutions, and the fields of law, ethics, academia, public policy, and cultural heritage.
Through its work, the Advisory Committee will provide guidance to support cultural institutions and other bodies that have responsibility for managing historic collections, on associated matters, including collections management and provenance research. This important work is nearing completion and I am very pleased with the Advisory Committee's progress. I am looking forward to receiving their final report and bringing it to my colleagues in Government before the Summer Recess. I intend to publish the report then without delay.
I am also conscious of the growing public interest in the potential return of cultural objects of Irish origin held in collections abroad. I believe that the Advisory Committee's work and recommendations will foster goodwill, trust, and mutual co-operation, which could in turn support any future Irish efforts to seek the return of cultural heritage materials from abroad. Existing relationships between Irish cultural, collecting, and research institutions and their internationally based colleagues are positive and well-established, and these provide a strong foundation for enhanced collaboration and co-operation.
