Vol. 515 No. 2
77 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Health and Children the consideration, if any, given by him to date to the proposals of the Genealogical Society of Ireland for equity of access to genealogical records; and the plans, if any, the Government has to implement the proposals made to it. [4889/00]
127 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the consideration, if any, given by him to date to the proposals of the Genealogical Society of Ireland for equity of access to genealogical records; and the plans, if any, the Government has to implement the proposals made to it. [5592/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 127 together.
The administration of the registration system is a matter for An tArd-Chláraitheoir, the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, and for local registrars who operate under his general direction.
The Registration of Births and Deaths Acts, 1863 to 1996, and the Marriages Acts of 1844 and 1863 provide that An t-Árd Chláraitheoir shall retain certified copies of the records of births, deaths and marriages returned to him on a quarterly basis by local registrars and that he shall compile and make available an index to such records at his office. Persons are entitled to search these indexes on the payment of the approved fees and to obtain certified copies of entries identified from the index.
As I indicated, in my reply to similar questions on 8 February, steps are being taken to maintain and improve indexes to the records of births, deaths and marriages, including the special project for the capture of the records of births, deaths and marriages and associated indexes in an electronic format which has been ongoing in Roscommon for some time. This major project will improve the efficiency, flexibility, access to and management of the archival records and will provide potential for the development of a range of services, which would not be possible in a system reliant on printed indexes. It will benefit all customers of the registration service throughout the country, including persons who currently avail of the services of the reading room in the general register office. There is also an ongoing review of the registration service to identify changes necessary to provide a modern and effective service based on the electronic recording of vital events.
