A report by the Auditor General in Northern Ireland has criticised the body representing museums and galleries for its standard of record-keeping and storage.
The report is particularly critical of a boat purchased 36 years ago, for the equivalent of almost €900,000, which has still not been put on display.
The report, which is set to embarrass those who run the four main museums in Northern Ireland, highlights what it considers to be shortcomings in how the artefacts, many of them extremely rare and valuable, are stored.
The audit office at Westminster found that 60% of the storage areas of the museums were either poor or unacceptable, although it concedes that the main stores at the Ulster Museum in Belfast and the Folk and Transport Museum near Omagh were good.
The importance of the storage facilities is reflected in the fact that only about 10% of the collections are on display at any one time.
The body responsible for running Northern Ireland's museums said it agreed with the findings of the report and was already working to implement key recommendations.
Next August, the Ulster Museum, which holds the most important art and other collections, is to close down for over two years for a £12 million refurbishment programme.
