Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Most of these files related to Northern Ireland. A total of 49 files were released without abstractions and partial abstractions were made on five documents, all related to Northern Ireland. The abstractions related to information given in confidence, including security information and information about individuals likely to lead to defamation claims. There were abstractions in other documents but the files were released. The abstractions normally concern parts of files, such as names being crossed out.

The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy O'Donoghue, is releasing files to co-operate with those seeking information for historical purposes. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, has established a working group in his Department to review the files required for historical purposes. The group has requested proposals from various historians. A number of historians and archivists are working with the group to see how best to release the files in an ordered fashion. The Government's policy is to co-operate whenever possible and in particular when the release of files would aid historical research. The examination being carried out in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform which involves historians and archivists could be used as a model in other Departments where necessary. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform holds a greater number of files than other Departments and the Minister was anxious to develop a way of bringing this forward.

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