Probe into €1m purchase of James Joyce text

ARTS Minister John O’Donoghue has ordered a probe into events surrounding the State’s €1.17 million purchase of a rare James Joyce manuscript, it emerged last night.

The National Library’s acquisition of the set of documents in 2005 has been the subject of controversy, the minister’s spokesman said.

However, he insisted the inquiry would not look into any personal relationship between the department’s assistant secretary-general Niall O’Donnchu and literary consultant Laura Barnes.

Fine Gael TD Paul McGrath has written to the Oireachtas Committee on Procedure and Privilege raising concern that Ms Barnes spoke to him regarding Dáil questions he had submitted regarding the sale but had not yet been published on the order paper.

“The probe has been set up due to the controversy,” the spokesman said.