NEW MINISTER for Arts Martin Cullen has promised to address the problems with the "imperilled" National Library, National Museum and National Archives after the Dáil heard that Ireland's entire 700 years of national library archives could be lost because the storage area was a "tinderbox".
Fine Gael arts spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell said that the lack of investment in the three institutions was "simply unforgivable". She had recently visited the National Library and was "absolutely shocked" to see the way in which the books were stored. "It's a tinderbox. We could lose our entire 700 years of written material and photographic material if there's any sort of a spark in that building."
She told Mr Cullen: "I cannot blame you in your first week as Minister, but it's certainly something to which you're going to have to pay attention."
The Dublin South TD said that "if nothing else" something had to be done about storage in all three institutions. While these issues fell to the Office of Public Works, the OPW had many people calling on its services.
The Minister accepted the need for proper care and storage of the archives. "I will certainly try to drive forward a solution. Whether there is a possibility of a collective solution, I'm not sure." He said that he would "certainly take up the issue and see where we go".
Outlining the difficulties, Ms Mitchell said: "Their main problem is storage, because all three institutions are at the receiving end of a conveyor belt of artefacts and written material. The National Archives were responsible for conserving and making accessible every single record and public document. They simply cannot do it in the premises they have, which is basically a biscuit factory."
The Comptroller and Auditor General's report on the National Museum made "very frightening reading", she said. Some artefacts had to be stored outdoors. "When the stairs fell down they could not even begin the work of refurbishing because they have no staff to ensure the items can be conserved and stored. They have nowhere to move them to."
