Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 12 December 2013

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht

Capturing Full Value of Genealogical Heritage: Discussion (Resumed)

2:20 pm

Photo of Marcella Corcoran KennedyMarcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We will now consider the topic, developing a plan to capture the full value of our genealogical heritage, with our first group of witnesses. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I welcome the following witnesses to the meeting: Ms Catríona Crowe, National Archives of Ireland; Ms Fiona Ross, director, Ms Colette O'Flaherty, keeper of archival collections, Mr. Gerard Long, assistant keeper of archival collections of the National Library of Ireland; and Mr. Kevin Lonergan, principal officer, Mr. Chris Flynn, principal officer, and Ms Orlagh Gleeson, assistant principal officer, Cultural and Art Institutions, at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. I thank them all for their attendance here today. I propose that we hear the witnesses in the order in which I have introduced them. Is that agreed? Agreed.

This session will continue until 3.45 p.m. when we will suspend and we will resume at 4.15 p.m. with our second session. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I wish to advise the witnesses that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if a witness is directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in regard to a particular matter and continues to do so, the witness is entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of his or her evidence. Witnesses are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and are asked to respect the parliamentary practice that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. The opening statement and any other documents submitted to the committee may be published on the committee's website after this meeting.

Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the House or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

Before I call on the first witness I wish to make some comments. As stated at our meeting on 10 December, genealogy and the search for one's origins have become a very important issue for many people in Ireland and elsewhere. People want to know where they have come from and the origins of their families. They want to know if their foreparent was a soldier, farmer or blacksmith, what part of Ireland he or she came from and what were the local conditions that encouraged or forced them to leave. While many people engage in genealogical research as a personal hobby there is a very important role for the professional genealogist in providing research, information and Internet facilities. The worldwide web in particular has an important role to play in facilitating people all over the world in accessing records in Ireland without leaving their homes. While this makes it much easier for them to engage in such research it will also hopefully encourage them to visit Ireland at a later stage.

I now call on Ms Catríona Crowe to address the committee.

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