Vol. 430 No. 2
21 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Health if he will give a breakdown of the total cost involved to date for his Department under the Government's current programme of decentralisation; if he will clarify the costs and relevant payments to personnel with regard to the relocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
57 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Health if he proposes to proceed with the announced relocation of the General Register's Office from Dublin.
247 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health the steps, if any, he proposes to take to redress the inconvenience that will result in the transfer of the General Register's Office, including all genealogical records, from Dublin.
251 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Health the proposals, if any, he has following the relocation of the General Register Office to County Roscommon to cater for tourists and others making brief visits to Dublin who wish to use the services of this office.
257 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Health if the decision to locate the General Registry Office in Roscommon will be reversed; if he has received representations from the public regarding this; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
297 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the City Council of Dublin has expressed its concern at the proposal to transfer the General Register Office from Lombard Street, Dublin 2 to County Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to take Questions Nos. 21, 57, 247, 251, 257 and 297 together.
The decision to relocate the General Register Office to Roscommon was taken by the Government as part of its ongoing policy of decentralising State agencies.
As I have already informed the House on 10 March last in response to questions from Deputies Avril Doyle and John Connor, my Department has been examining in detail the various options for effecting the decentralisation and is taking into account the needs of all users of the Office. I have received a number of representations about the matter from Members of the Oireachtas, various organisations and individual members of the public, mostly stressing the potential problems involved for genealogists and others undertaking searches, including tourists. I am also aware of the concern recently expressed by Dublin City Council in the matter. One of the particular issues being addressed in my Department's consideration of options is the maintenance of adequate facilities for genealogical research.
