An Taisce, The National Trust for Ireland has sent a formal letter to the Irish Minister for Arts Heritage and The Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys requesting investigation of the circumstances under which one of a pair of widely admired early 18th.Century French paintings The Cabinet Of Physical Sciences by Jacques De Lajoue, has been sold privately by the Alfred Beit Foundation.

An Taisce has put forward a proposal to secure and manage Russborough House and the Alfred Beit Collection in the wake of an announcement by The Alfred Beit Foundation that it is looking to sell a significant part of the Beit picture collection on the international market.