News – Final decision on ACNI art collection

An investigation into the loss of works from the Arts Council of Northern Irelands (ACNI) art collection (AP issue 129, 11 September 2006) has concluded that 48 works worth £20,725 are missing from the main collection, plus an additional 50 works purchased under the Partnership Purchase Scheme , which ran during the 1970s and 1980s and enabled bodies to buy works in a 50% partnership with ACNI.
The missing items had been loaned for display in public buildings throughout Northern Ireland. Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council, said, We& have established an overall loss to the public purse of a maximum total of £28,000. Although there was no issue of impropriety, the manual method of record keeping used in the past proved less than satisfactory. ACNI is planning to gift the remaining 1,200 works in its collection to other bodies, particularly the museums sector. This requires parliamentary approval, which is being sought through the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.