Vol. 521 No. 3
131 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands her views on the number of bogus pedigrees, arms and titles registered in the Genealogical Office; the plans, if any, she has in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16989/00]
I am not aware of the existence of evidence to support allegations that numbers of bogus pedigrees, arms and titles have been registered in the Genealogical Office. Where however, questions have been raised about individual decisions and actions of the Genealogical Office, appropriate steps have been, and are being, taken to investigate these with a view to determining what action, if any, might be taken in individual cases
132 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands her views on the current situation in respect of the Maguire chiefship; the plans, if any, she has in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16990/00]
In respect of the first part of the question, I refer the Deputy to the final three paragraphs of my reply to Question No. 726 of 29 September 1999.
133 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the number of employees in the Genealogical Office; the number who are permanent; the number who are hired on contract; the method, conditions and criteria that apply in the hiring of contract employees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16991/00]
Apart from the Chief Herald, who is also the Director of the National Library, the permanent staff assigned to the Genealogical Office comprises of a keeper – Deputy Chief Herald – an assistant keeper working on a job-sharing basis; and two clerical officers. Two persons are engaged on a fee per case basis for heraldic work and four others are engaged, also on a fee basis, for the painting of coats of arms and other documents. One experienced genealogist has been engaged for many years in a fee basis to conduct searches and research in the records of the office for persons who pay fees for this work. Those paid on a fee basis were engaged following extensive inquiries as to the availability of persons with knowledge and experience of the specialised work involved. In total, fees paid for this purpose in the Genealogical Office in 1999, amounted to £48,294 as against a total fee income of £60,385.
