Two members of the Hunt family have stepped down from the board of the Hunt Museum in Limerick amid the controversy over allegations that some of the museum's collection may have been looted by the Nazis.
Mr John Hunt and Ms Trudy Hunt confirmed last night that they had stood down from the board pending the completion of an investigation into the origins of the massive collection donated to the State by their late parents.
The museum board announced last week that it had asked a retired judge to lead the investigation, assisted by a senior academic and a museum professional from outside Ireland. The final report will be referred to the Minister for Arts, Mr O'Donoghue.
Board members launched the investigation following allegations by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre that John and Gertrude Hunt had business dealings with art dealers who had links to the Nazis.
Welcoming the move, Mr John Hunt and Ms Trudy Hunt said last night they were "frustrated" that the museum board hadn't dedicated the same level of energy to defending their late parents' reputation. They also voiced concerns that the board's reaction was heavy-handed and may give credence to the allegations.
In a statement, the brother and sister spoke of the hurt and distress caused to the family.
"The Hunt family has nothing to hide or fear from any investigative process that is fair.
"We call on all those who have made these unsubstantiated allegations to co-operate fully with this review and to bring forward any specific charges so that they can be properly and independently scrutinised," the statement said.
It added: "We honour the memory of our parents who we loved, admired and respected. We never knew them to be anything other than scrupulously honest and fair. We take this opportunity to repeat that the collection was assembled and given to the people of Ireland in good faith. It is with a degree of sadness therefore that we have decided to step aside from the board of the Hunt Museum for the duration of the review process."
They said that stepping aside from the board would ensure that there could be no hint of undue influence on the investigation. They said the move would also allow them greater freedom to pursue their priority of defending and safeguarding their family's reputation. They said they remained confident that the allegations would prove to be "totally without foundation".
The museum's chairman, Mr George Stacpoole, denied last night that a rift was emerging at board level. "This is only a temporary move to allow the review to take place during this difficult moment. It is absolutely temporary and there is no rift whatsoever at board level," he said.