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YOU MAY HAVE heard about the curious case of artwork from Leinster House that is unaccounted for.
In 2012, the Sunday Independent reported that some 37 pieces of art from within Leinster House were unaccounted for.
The large turnover in TDs in 2011 – when a record 76 new Dáil deputies were elected – was partly blamed for the disappearance of some of the art with scores of TDs vacating offices and artwork being moved around – or even out of – the Oireachtas complex.
Among this new intake was Labour’s Derek Nolan (above) who asked about the issue at the Public Accounts Committee today when Office of Public Works officials came before it.
It emerged that since it began an inventory, the OPW has whittled down the number of art pieces that it cannot locate to 21. Speaking before the committee today, the OPW chairman Clare McGrath explained why the artwork is not actually missing:
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What a bit of babbling, it’s missing but it’s not missing we can’t find them but there not lost. Two years and this is the best she can come up with.
If it turns up in Kenya….
“It was just resting on my wall”
Big laugh – a confidential recipient ….
What a load of hogwash from Claire McGrath
That was hard to watch I must say!!
“it was just resting in my account”…..
They were framed!
Letters from the ECB missing, files on the banking bailout missing , artwork missing ect ect. Stop all is forgiven all these items have been found and it now transpires nothing is missing. Wait until after the election and there will be a few of the Government T Ds missing. The greatest shower of chancers ever to grace Government Buildings.
The only things missing are the TDs.. most in the subsidised dail bar I expect
Those two guys sitting beside this lady look a tad scary/ threatening. Why does everything to do with
State property become so confused and mixed up. Simple. The art pieces do NOT belong to the person occupying any particular office, so their removal is theft if permission and records are not available.
Expensive piece of art €2,400, come on, now if it was €2.4 million that would be expensive!
Theft is still theft and if that’s the case it should be followed up.
If their “found” all well and good, either way the value isn’t the issue.
Proinsias, where did you pick up your funny name
Vannin my comment was not about theft it was about what Derek Nolan called an expensive painting, €2,400 is a pittance when compared to a recent sale of a Paul Gauguin for $300 Million!
I dpn’t know about you but to me €2,400 is a lot of money which I would gladly accept as a donation.
The true value of “art” is only how much some idiot is going to pay for it, it just usually happens the idiots have the money.
Yeah I know before you point it out….. can’t be an idiot if you have the money…. it’s a bit of a conundrum
isn’t it
“I’ll have abit of that there Julia – sure who will ever check – I am a politician ! ”
“Do ya remember the day we did it on the desk ?” – (the memo)
I wonder if that’s why they need new carpets as well?
Pictures of Bertie carry his brown paper bag vanishes.
I recall a valuable state painting being ” found” with an employee as he was leaving the building on St Stephenx green with it not so long back. His explanation . It was in a box, I found it in the boiler room, it was going to bd thrown out so I took it. Theft is theft. The bequeaterx of one of the world renown Harry Clarkes wanted them back because they’d been tossed in a corner for twenty years / still worth a fortune. They having a clue what their inventory is, where it is or what’s missing – wait til the donors want their art returned after the tax for loans periods run out – and the taxpayer will be left with the bill – as usual.
Such a load of codswollop I having heard in a long time – she cares less. Climate controlled and protected environments for your valuable art howareya
I have never seen a woman say so little in so many words. Unbelievable.
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