Vol. 483 No. 5
26 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if she has received the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Irish Genealogical project; if so, if she has read this report; if she will give details of future State investment in this regard; the proposals, if any, she has to manage the size and market of the Irish genealogical project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20616/97.
The Deputy is aware that responsibility for the Irish Genealogical Project (IGP) has recently been transferred from the Department of the Taoiseach to my Department.
The report on a value for money examination of the IGP which the Deputy refers to was laid before the Oireachtas in April last by the then Taoiseach. The report highlights several difficulties, including the need to fix the establishment of clear targets for the completion by local centres of the database, the periodic assessment of progress relative to those targets, the need to progress the establishment of a central signposting index and the need to develop a marketing plan for the project. Following the transfer of responsibility my Department will be examining how these dificiencies can best be addressed by Irish Genealogy Ltd.
