Sir, – In the light of recent articles and discussions about the disposal of items from public collections (Arts, December 5th), I wish to state on behalf of the Irish Museums Association (IMA) the commitment of Irish museums to the principle of holding collections in trust on behalf of the public. Museum collections belong to all of us, and under no circumstances should they treated as a mere asset to be sold to pay the bills. In the exceptional circumstance where material is de-accessioned from a public collection, this should only be done in compliance with the procedures as set out in the Code of Ethics of the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
There has been much debate in recent years about trust in public institutions. Museum collections are a very tangible example of that trust and the responsibility of safeguarding their survival for the enlightenment and enjoyment of this and future generations is one that Irish museums take with the utmost seriousness. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN CROWLEY,
Chair, Irish Museums
Association,
Earlsfort Terrace,
Dublin 2.