LEGISLATION on national cultural institutions was announced yesterday. The Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Mr Higgins, described it as "one of the most significant legislative initiatives, in cultural terms, that the Irish State has undertaken since its foundation".
He said the National Cultural Institutions Bill 1996 marks a major step in establishing a modern structure within which our cultural institutions will be able to thrive.
The legislation, to be introduced shortly in the Seanad, makes extensive changes to the structures governing the National Museum and National Library, which were established in the 19th century. It provides for the establishment of statutory boards to manage the collections in both institutions.
A register of significant cultural objects will be set up. "This provision, which includes compulsory purchase in limited circumstances, addresses the serious concern about the lack of effective legislative powers to deal with this problem," the Minister said.
The Bill provides for the establishment of a state system of indemnity for foreign exhibitions and valuable cultural items on long term loan to the State's major collecting institutions.
But last night, the director of the National Library, Dr Pat Donlon, said "significant financial provisions" would be needed to fund the changes brought about by the legislation.
She said: "This is a very important piece of legislation and I welcome it. The National Library has been governed by an 1877 Act and a lot has changed in that period. However, the move from legislation to implementation of the Act will require money and more personnel.
She said the National Library had been "starved" of funds for decades and resources were not sufficient to carry out the functions of a national library.
"When we move to this semi independent status covered in the Act there will be additional functions in the accounting, personnel and human resources area which were previously handled by the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht," said Dr Donlon, who will be retiring from her position shortly.
The National Museum director, Dr Pat Wallace, said he was "delighted" with the introduction of the legislation. "We have really got very little since the foundation of the State," he said. Mr John Hunt, acting director of the Hunt Museum in Limerick, said the Bill represented a "great day" for those institutions who care for the nation's heritage. He welcomed, in particular, the new system for indemnifying foreign exhibitions. "Our own exhibition programme will now be considerably easier to carry out," he said.