Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 June 2021
81. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if historical pension records are held, including pre-1922, in respect of the Commissioners of Irish Lights; if so, the year that it dates from; if any of the historical records are available to access; if so, the circumstances under which they can be accessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29892/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Archive of Irish Lights is a source of maritime history and also of the wider social, political, military, engineering, architectural, scientific and administrative history of Ireland in the 19th & 20th centuries. Equally, it is a source for personal and family history. Irish Lights employed many generations around the coast of Ireland for over two centuries. The earliest records in the Archive date back to 1810.
A major project began in 2019 to preserve and catalogue the Archive. The Archive contains over one thousand volumes and two thousand boxes of administrative records. The Archive project is prioritising records of greatest historical significance. In addition to routine preservation and cataloguing, a number of specialised conservation and digitisation projects are currently ongoing. This will allow the full potential of the Archive to be realised and will ultimately facilitate access to researchers, with a number of outreach projects planned.
With regard to the Deputy's question, the Commissioners of Irish Lights has confirmed it has pension records some of which date back to 1891. It is unclear at this point how comprehensive these records are. The records are currently closed to researchers as the Archive Project is ongoing but specific records can be made available at special request and subject to data protection requirements.
