Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 November 2013
378. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the full extent of the backlog of uncatalogued records of all types at the National Archives; the way it is proposed to properly catalogue and itemise these records; when this will occur; the funding required; if he has considered utilising the JobBridge scheme to aid in this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49302/13]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the National Archives is responsible by law for the acquisition of records of permanent value from Departments of State, the courts and 61 named bodies. The National Archives can also acquire archives from other sources such as business, hospitals, charities and voluntary bodies, where it is considered that the archives are of outstanding quality and value. This can, on occasion, entail the rescue of archives that are in danger of destruction.
Cataloguing is one of the core professional duties of archivists in the National Archives, requiring specialist knowledge and in-depth understanding of the content and historical and administrative context of the archives. I am advised that the National Archives has utilised the JobBridge scheme, insofar as it can, to aid in the cataloguing of records. However, because cataloguing work is a specialised activity, JobBridge placements can be employed in a limited way only.
I understand that the National Archives has a historic backlog of approximately 70,000 boxes of archives which need archival and preservation processing to varying degrees. These documents are held in safe and secure conditions but, in light of the pressure on resources, progress on the historic backlog is likely to be slow. As each archival collection will require different levels of work, it is not possible to estimate accurately the funding implications arising.
