Departmental Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 December 2023

Wednesday, 6 December 2023

Questions (132)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

132. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which an academic may make a request to access the Land Commission records; if he will set out the criteria that is required to determine that a research project is in the public interest in the context of gaining access to the Land Commission records; if he will clarify whether he and or his officials consulted with academic experts in the field of Irish social history with a specialism in land-related issues in the development of the trial access; and the way in which requests to access the records is considered. [53955/23]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

My Officials in Records Branch inform me that requests for academic access to Irish Land Commission records can be made by contacting the Records Branch at the following email address: [e-mail].

Requests for academic access are dealt with on a case-by-case basis and granted at the discretion of the Department.

The matters that will be considered by my Officials when making a decision on whether to grant academic access to the Records include:

• The qualifications of the researcher

• Whether the researcher is associated with an established academic institution.

• In the case of an amateur/local historian, their status in the broader community, e.g., publications, public talks etc.

• Whether the researcher have any personal links to the property.

• The likely impact that the query would have on the ability of Records Branch staff to carry out their primary duties.

• Is the proposed research in the public interest.

• The extent to which the Department can be satisfied that the principal of data minimisation can be adhered to having regard to the nature of the research query.

My Department plans to procure specialist archival advice with a view to ascertaining how best to facilitate greater access to the records in future including for academics.