The famous Russborough House art collection is to be put on public display again following a €400,000 Government grant to its owners, it emerged today.
The €40 million Beit collection at Russborough House in County Wicklow has been in storage for the last two years while restoration and security work was carried out.
The security work follows four high profile thefts of artwork from Russborough, the last of which was in June 2001.
Minister for Environment Dick Roche said today that €400,000 would be provided for the restoration project.
"This conservation work will enable the House to again become the rightful home of the Beit art collection," he said.
Russborough House was bought in 1952 by Sir Alfred Beit, the son of a wealthy South African diamond magnate, as the home for his art collection.
The first robbery came in 1974 when an IRA unit, which included British heiress Dr Rose Dugdale, tied up Sir Alfred Beit and one of his staff and stole 19 paintings valued at €10 million.
In 1986, Dublin criminal Martin Cahill, known as the General, stole €38 million of paintings and in 2001, robbers rammed a car through the front door of the house and stole two more paintings.
Russborough House administrator Deirdre Rowsome said all the stolen paintings had been recovered.
"There is no place to sell these paintings really. The Gardai are amazing, over the years, they have recovered the paintings throughout the world."
Russborough House received a €350,000 euro grant from the Heritage Council last year towards the conservation project, which has had substantial repairs carried out on its roof.
Ms Rowsome said the Beit collection would not be put on display until the completion of the multi-million euro conservation project.
"We'd love to have them back but we must finish what we're doing and restore the house."
There will also be security upgrades and new fire doors installed as part of the project, which is expected to take at least another year.
Despite the absence of the art collection, around 15,000 tourists visited the house to view its architecture and furnishings last year.
Mr Roche, who visited Russborough House today, announced that €18.5 million would be spent on heritage projects this year.