Ireland
The Department of Arts,
Sport and Tourism provides the appropriate resource, policy and legislative
framework for Ireland's National Cultural Institutions. The Department
promotes greater accessibility to the national collections of these Institutions,
in appropriate environments outside Dublin, the capital city of Ireland.
There are seven National
Cultural Institutions under the aegis of the Department of Arts, Sport
and Tourism: the National Archives,
the National Gallery of Ireland,
the National Library of Ireland, the
National Museum of Ireland, the Irish
Museum of Modern Art, the Chester Beatty
Library and the National Concert Hall.
The Council
of National Cultural Institutions was established in 1998 to provide
a forum whereby the Directors of Ireland's National Cultural Institutions
could pool together their experience, expertise, talent and vision to
further the national cultural interest.
The Council also includes representatives from the Arts
Council, the Heritage Council
and the National Theatre Society
(Abbey Theatre).
The Council provides observations and recommendations to the Minister
for Arts, Sport and Tourism on issues relating to general policy in the
fields of arts and culture.
The Heritage
Fund Act, 2001 established a Fund, with an overall limit of €12.697m,
over a five year period.
The Fund aims to build up financial resources to enable Ireland's principal
national collecting institutions acquire significant cultural items that
are outstanding examples of their type and pre-eminent in their class.
The National Cultural Institutions Act, 1997 empowers the Director of
the National Museum of Ireland, with the consent of the Minister for Arts,
Sport and Tourism, to designate local museums as County Museums.
The local museum must be controlled by the Local Authority and it must
meet stringent requirements in relation to safety, security and display.
County Museums may hold and display archaeological objects which are considered,
by the Director of the National Museum of Ireland, to be of more a local
than a national interest.
For more information on Irish culture:
The Department of Arts,
Sport and Tourism
The
National Cultural Institutions
The National Archives
The National Gallery of Ireland
The National Library of Ireland
The National Museum of Ireland
The Irish Museum of Modern Art
The Chester Beatty Library
The National Concert Hall
The
Council of National Cultural Institutions
The National Theatre Society
(Abbey Theatre)
The Heritage Council
The Arts Council
The
Heritage Fund Act
National Cultural sites
