Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Taoiseach will be aware that section (8)(4)(a), (b) and (c) of the 1986 Act allows an official in the Department of the Taoiseach to certify that files should not be sent to the National Archives if sending them would be contrary to the public interest, if it would or might constitute a breach of statutory duty or it might cause danger or distress to persons living on the grounds that they might contain information about individuals or would or might be likely to lead to an action for damages for defamation.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform recently announced that he will allow researchers to examine files in his Department which had been previously unavailable. Does the Taoiseach propose to put in place a similar facility that would allow professional researchers to make an objective and measured assessment of the files that have been withheld by his Department?

He gave some details of the files that have been withheld under section 8(4). Will these files be held indefinitely, are they ever likely to be seen or is the position being constantly reviewed such that professional researchers might, with the passing of time, be able to have access to them on release? Will the Taoiseach expand on the nature of those files and identify the issues that are covered in them that caused them to be not available under the National Archives Act?

See this speech in context