Vol. 482 No. 2
42 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands when she will provide resources to enable the National Archives office to function properly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17336/97]
Funding for the various cultural institutions which come within the remit of my Department, including the National Archives, is allocated having regard to the overall financial resources available to the Department and the needs of the individual institutions. Historically many of these institutions have not had sufficient resources to play the central role they should.
The National Archives is currently constrained by lack of space from accepting all records due for transfer. There has for some time been a pressing need for additional storage space at the National Archives premises at Bishop Street through the vacation of the floor 1 area by the Government Supplies Agency to meet short-term storage needs. I am pleased to be in a position to confirm to the Deputy that the floor 1 area to which I refer has now been vacated and that it is hoped that this area will be available for use by the National Archives by the end of February next. This will enable the Archives to accept all Government Department records at present overdue for transfer.
A major project estimated to cost some £13 million is proposed for the adaptation of the warehouse at the rear of the National Archives premises which would meet its accommodation needs well into the next century.
