"This is great news for a section of Northern Ireland's workforce, but for a large proportion of the remainder, there is still no respite from breathing in deadly tobacco smoke, " he said.
Since late 1998 it has sold over 70% of these loans, and the debt of a single giant borrower, Daewoo, which was rescued in 2000, accounts for a large proportion of the remainder.
The museum collection--featuring bronzes, pottery, porcelain, paintings and calligraphy--is so vast that only a small proportion can be displayed at one time, while the remainder is stored in vaults within the hills behind the museum.