Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 30 Nov 1972

Vol. 264 No. 3

First and Second Dáil Papers: Motion.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach (Mr. Andrews)

I move:

That the Clerk of the Dáil transfer to the Deputy Keeper of Public Records and Keeper of State Papers for official deposit the documents in his custody relating to the First and Second Dáil and miscellaneous papers relating to the period up to 6th December, 1922.

Certain papers relating to the First and Second Dáil and to meetings held in 1922 for the purpose of electing a Provisional Government and enacting the 1922 Constitution are held in the custody of the Clerk of the Dáil. The Committee on Procedure and Privileges are in favour of handing over the papers to the Public Record Office where they will be available for historians. Standing Order 78 prevents the handing over of the papers without the express leave of the House. The purpose of this motion is to obtain the necessary leave.

Mr. Coogan

Will they be available to the public?

Mr. Andrews

Yes. They have been under lock and key for 50 years now. It is a matter of making them available to historians and other interested persons.

Mr. E. Collins

I fully support any move to make official records available to the Public Record Office and to historians and I would ask the Parliamentary Secretary to ensure that these records will be available very freely.

Mr. Andrews

They will, I think, be freely accessible to interested parties.

Mr. Tully

There was a debate in the Committee on Procedure and Privileges as to who exactly qualifies as an historian.

Mr. Andrews

It is a matter of interpretation.

Mr. Tully

I should hate to think that an historian was judged on the stamp that might be given to a certain thing. It was said that someone was a relative of a Member of this House and should not be considered as an historian; it was wrong.

Mr. Andrews

I agree with the Deputy.

Motion agreed to.