asked the Taoiseach, in view of the enactment of the Archives Act, 1986, the steps which have been taken by his Department to ensure the satisfactory establishment and operation of a National Archives facility; in respect of such a facility, the Department which have transferred suitable or eligible documents; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - National Archives Facility.
4.
The National Archives Act, 1986, was brought into operation by me with effect from 1 June 1988. Departments are, in consequence, obliged to transfer to the National Archives, two years after that date, the great bulk of their official records which are aged 30 years or more.
I have more recently brought into operation, as provided for in section 19 (1) of the Act, detailed regulations to give effect to the provisions of the Act. Those provisions have been drawn to the attention of all Ministers on a number of occasions. I have ensured that one or more officials of principal officer rank have been designated in each Department of State to ensure full compliance with the terms of the National Archives Act. Two senior officials of my Department have been directed to ensure that Departments facilitate the timely transfer of their archival material to the National Archives.
Additional archival storage space has been made available at 58-64 Lower Dominick Street and that will greatly facilitate the intake of archival material from Departments.
I have allocated a once off lottery grant of £175,000 to facilitate the work of the National Archives. The head of the National Archives and the National Archives Advisory Council are at present considering the projects to be subvented from that grant.
Cabinet minutes and related files for the period up to 1954 have been transferred from my Department to the National Archives where public access is permitted. In addition, all files held in my Department for the period up to 1960 have been prepared for transfer to the National Archives. Those files number in excess of 10,000.
I understand also that a considerable backlog of records has been transferred over the past two years to the National Archives from the Departments of Finance, Agriculture, Justice, Foreign Affairs and Education as well as the Office of Public Works. National Archives personnel are also in touch with other Departments where the process of preparing archival material for transfer is still at a more preliminary stage.
I am confident that satisfactory arrangements are in place to enable the National Archives to discharge their statutory functions effectively.
I thank the Taoiseach for his comprehensive reply. Would he undertake to ensure that all other Government Departments that have not yet transferred relevant documentation would do so? In particular would he ensure that the documentation in relation to Ireland's application for membership of the European Community be properly filed and stored in the National Archives because I gather there is a possible problem in relation thereto?
I will do my best with my colleagues. I will use whatever influence I have with them.