asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he has any plans to improve the genealogical service for tourists.
Written Answers. - Genealogical Service.
17.
The Minister of State at my Department, Deputy Lyons, has been pursuing the question of the improvement of genealogical services to tourists through the Inter-Departmental Policy Co-Ordination Committee on Tourism, of which he is chairman and which includes a representative of the responsible Department, in this case, the Department of the Taoiseach.
Consultations with bodies responsible for genealogy and tourism have been held over the past few months by the Department of the Taoiseach. Following these discussions, a task force on genealogical services is being established to consider future action in this area.
In addition, the International Fund for Ireland are funding a consultancy, in association with Bord Fáilte and the Northern Irish Tourist Board, on certain proposals which the fund has received for assistance to develop genealogical services for tourists on an All-Ireland basis. The result of this assessment should be available in two to three months and will have wider application to our genealogical services generally.
In the meantime, steps are being taken to provide a satisfactory service to the public at the main national centres which hold sources of genealogical information. These include the Office of the Registrar General, the Public Record Office, the National Library and the Genealogical Office. In that context, the refurbishment of the reading room in the Public Record Office in the Four Courts has now been completed and the Heraldic Museum in Kildare Street will be open later this year.