Vol. 428 No. 1
415 Mr. E. Kenny asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht when all genealogical records will be fully computerised so that they will be accessible to visitors to Ireland who wish to trace their genealogy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The overall completion of the family history research source is dependent on the rate of completion of the local databases which, in turn, is dependent on a variety of factors, including the volume of records to be computerised and the dates on which particular centres are designated.
There are some 40 million records to be put on to the database at 35 centres — over 26 million of them church and civil birth, marriage and death records. Computers are already in place in 28 centres and proposals in relation to a further seven centres are being considered. Already the total number of these records held on computer throughout the island is about eight million. Based on progress to date, most centres estimate that they will require another six years to complete the process — three to input the remaining BMD records and a further three to input the other major sources such as census returns, Griffith's Valuation, etc.
For the information of the Deputy, some 17 centres can offer a "full" genealogical service at present.
