National Cultural Institutions Act, 1997
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Acquisition of certain cultural objects by Minister. |
53.—(1) Whenever the owner of a cultural object to which this Part applies requests the return of the object from an institution referred to in section 52 , then, if it appears to the Minister that the common good requires that the object should be in the ownership, care and control of the State, the Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, acquire the object by agreement with the owner thereof or, in default of agreement, compulsorily by order made by the Minister (in this Part referred to as a “vesting order”) acquire the object. | |
(2) Whenever the owner of a cultural object to which this Part applies makes a request referred to in subsection (1), the Minister shall notify the owner within 2 weeks from the date of the request that he or she will decide within 6 weeks from the date of such request whether he or she proposes to acquire the object and the owner shall not be entitled to the return of the object during the said period of 6 weeks and upon the expiration of that period the Minister shall cause the object to be returned to the owner unless he or she proposes to acquire the object under this section and has notified him or her accordingly before such expiration. | ||
(3) Where the Minister acquires a cultural object to which this Part applies by agreement with the owner thereof, the object shall thereupon vest in the Minister for the benefit of the State. | ||
(4) The price or compensation payable on the acquisition of a cultural object to which this Part applies shall be paid out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas. |