Future generations must be encouraged to develop their understanding of history through education and by visiting all of Ireland's cultural institutions, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands said at the Irish Embassy in London yesterday.
Ms de Valera invited members of Irish cultural organisations in Britain to "find a magic trail of culture" in Ireland's museums, galleries, libraries and performance venues.
She said the Government's commitment to fostering artistic talent and protecting Ireland's heritage was embodied in the Council of National Cultural Institutions. In London to promote Ireland's cultural institutions, she said funding for the Heritage Council had been increased by 27 per cent, while Arts Council funding had risen to u £28 million this year.
Moreover, EU Structural Funding in the past five years had seen "unprecedented spending" to help culturally valuable projects. Ambitious new projects under way included a new collection for the Chester Beatty Library to be housed in the Clock Tower at Dublin Castle and an exhibition gallery at the Irish Museum of Modern Art.
"I am confident that these developments and physical expansions, together with innovative education and outreach programmes, will allow the cultural institutions to write a new chapter in Irish history," she said.