A spokesperson for Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys has said the minister held a very constructive meeting with a number of trustees from the Alfred Beit Foundation this afternoon.
The trustees agreed to a request from the minister to meet with the inter-departmental working group she has established, involving senior officials from her department, the OPW and the Department of Tourism, to consider how best to support the foundation in operating Russborough House.
The minister was informed that Russborough is continuing to look at philanthropic support in a bid to secure more buyers for paintings from the foundation's collection which have been withdrawn from auction.
The process to secure tax relief for the purchase of one of the paintings is under way - this will allow the painting to be kept in Ireland and donated to the National Gallery.
While respecting the independence of the Alfred Beit Foundation, the minister said she is committed to working with it in the months ahead to ensure all options are explored to safeguard the future of Russborough.
The spokesperson said the minister of course wants to see Russborough House remain open to the Irish public.
They added, however, that the department does not currently have the discretionary funds necessary - believed to be in the order of €10-15 million - to buy the paintings in question.
