asked the Taoiseach the reason the new Gallery for Modern Art in the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin 8 which has been prepared and stocked with works of art, remains closed to the public.

The necessary structural adaptations to enable the establishment of a gallery of modern art at the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham have to be completed before it can be opened to the public. In the meantime, the generous gift from Mr. Gordon Lambert of works from his collection is being conserved in a portion of the building.

When did the work begin on the new gallery? How much is the work costing, and when will it be completed?

The adaptation works which are proceeding will take another 12 months.

When did they begin?

They only began a short while ago. I can write to inform the Deputy fully, but I can tell her that they will take another 12 months to conclude. The work started early in 1988. There are substantial adaptations being undertaken which will take another 12 months.

An allocation of £500,000 is being made from the national lottery for this purpose and this is another example of our bona fides in this matter. When we have the space, the Gordon Lambert Collection will be on display and the public will be admitted. That is an example of what I meant when I said in response to the earlier question that this is ongoing and covers a much wider field than that envisaged in the original plan. We are now adopting a very wide and flexible approach to all aspects of arts and culture and this is an example of where we are spending money as of now. We have a treasure house in the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham.

I am very pleased about the treasure house in the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham. I would remind the Tánaiste that the Arts Council is the body who have statutory responsibility for the contemporary arts in Ireland, and if modern art does not come under contemporary arts, I do not know what does. It is a pity that this information has to be dragged out of the Government at Question Time.

By way of final supplementary on this, I would like to ask the Tánaiste how it is envisaged that the gallery will be staffed, out of what Department, and what are the estimated running costs of the gallery?

The latter point is a separate question; I will get the information for the Deputy.

It is a very important question.

If the Deputy wants to know who carries the ultimate responsibility, it is the Taoiseach of course.

These questions have been appearing on the Order Paper and were being removed from the Order Paper for a considerable length of time for the understandable reason that the Taoiseach has not been well, but it is not as if they suddenly came out of the blue. They have been around for some considerable time, so I should be able to expect complete answers today. I am aware that the Taoiseach is in charge of the arts area. I really want to know what Department will be staffing the new gallery and what Department will be funding the running of it?

It is the Taoiseach's Department. I thought that was self evident.

As one of the obvious, essential prerequisities to the opening of the gallery, could the Tánaiste indicate when the board of governors or trustees to the gallery will be appointed?

That is another question.

This is a matter that is being considered at present.

Could the Tánaiste convey it to me in writing later?

I will do that.