From:Department of Culture, Communications and Sport

The Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan T.D., presented the report of the Advisory Committee on the Restitution and Repatriation of Cultural Heritage to the Government this week.

The Advisory Committee was established in 2023, to advise the Government on matters relating to the restitution and repatriation of culturally sensitive objects in Ireland. It was independently chaired by the Rt. Hon. Sir Donnell Deeny, and its 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.

The Committee’s work was informed by a two-phased programme:

In addition, the Advisory Committee considered the legal, ethical, policy, procedural, and institutional issues associated with the restitution and repatriation of culturally sensitive objects in Ireland and reviewed the international best practice research available in this area.

This report is the culmination of that work. Against the backdrop of current international discourse on decolonisation and contested collections, it is essential that Ireland’s approach is transparent, respectful, and grounded in a meaningful acknowledgement of the facts of our history. This is central to building trust with communities of origin and ensuring that decision making processes are informed, fair, and culturally sensitive.

The Advisory Committee’s recommendations provide for supports and structural reform to enable cultural institutions and other bodies that have responsibility for managing historic collections, respond appropriately to claims that may arise, building capacity and expertise across the sector.

The Report finds that Ireland now has the opportunity to establish a credible, ethical and internationally aligned approach to restitution and repatriation. It stresses that the aim is not to

create an adversarial system, but to support dialogue, mediation, collaboration and mutually agreed outcomes wherever possible.

Minister O’Donovan said:“I would like to thank the Rt. Hon. Sir Donnell Deeny, the members of the Advisory Committee, and the Heritage Council, for their commitment and engagement, and the care and sensitivity with which they have completed this important work. I am giving these recommendations my full consideration to ensure that the restitution and repatriation processes for culturally sensitive objects in Ireland are grounded in trust and respect, and that cultural and collecting institutions are appropriately supported. It is very timely that we establish a modern, cohesive, transparent national framework, which is grounded in ethical stewardship and respectful and culturally sensitive engagement with claimant communities. I will consult with key stakeholders on these recommendations, and I intend to then bring a plan to Government to seek support for their implementation”.

Rt. Hon. Sir Donnell Deeny, Chair of the Advisory Committee, said:“This Report reflects the Committee’s sustained and informed work to provide Ireland with a path to a clear and legally coherent national framework for the restitution and repatriation of cultural heritage. The Committee’s mandate was to examine the structures, standards and legal mechanisms necessary to enable such claims to be addressed properly in the future. The recommendations set out in the report, if implemented, will facilitate fair and just outcomes for claimants and collecting institutions, providing by Ministerial decision based on expert appraisal, the legal clarity and safeguards required to act responsibly. I hope this report will provide a sound basis for Government to establish an enduring framework through which these complex and sensitive matters may be resolved with integrity.”

Virginia Teehan, Chief Executive Officer of the Heritage Council, said:“Restitution and repatriation are among the most sensitive and important issues facing cultural heritage institutions today. This report provides Ireland with a practical and principled pathway for addressing claims in a non-adversarial way. The Heritage Council is proud to have supported the work of the Advisory Committee and the development of the accompanying guidelines, which will give collecting institutions across Ireland the tools and support they need to engage responsibly with complex collection histories. By investing in provenance research, cataloguing, training and respectful dialogue with communities of origin, Ireland can demonstrate real leadership in ethical stewardship and ensure that our cultural heritage sector is equipped to meet both present and future responsibilities.”

The Advisory Committee’s report recommends that the Government establishes a cohesive national framework, underpinned by appropriate State investment, to support all collecting institutions. The proposed framework comprises the actions summarised below:

* Encourage and support claimants and collecting institutions to resolve claims directly through fair and due process, as set out in the proposed national guidelines.

* Publish and implement national guidelines developed by the Advisory Committee.

* Establish a new expert advisory panel to consider claims that cannot be resolved through direct engagement, and provide independent, evidence-based, expert advice on unresolved claims to the Minister.

* Enact appropriate legislation to remove statutory barriers preventing institutions from deaccessioning objects, establish the new expert advisory panel, and define its functions and procedures.

* Develop a national provenance research programme, supported with appropriate State recognition and multi-annual funding. This programme will build capacity and expertise across collecting institutions, support compliance with the national guidelines, undertake provenance investigations, and inform the work of the expert advisory panel.

* Develop a national cataloguing and digitisation programme, supported with appropriate State recognition and multi-annual funding. This programme will address cataloguing backlogs, support the digitisation and publication of collection records, and integrate cataloguing and documentation standards into the Museum Standards Programme for Ireland [MSPI].

* Deliver training and capacity building supports nationally, to support institutions in implementing the national guidelines effectively and develop expertise across the sector.

* Provide dedicated funding and structured supports for engagement with claimant communities and communities of origin, and partners across the island of Ireland and internationally.

The full report of the Advisory Committee, together with minutes of meetings and other information about the Committee’s work, can be foundhere.