Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

——-in saying he should not be afraid to tackle the issue. However, the issue should be tackled after he has done the analysis on whether there will be savings and increased efficiencies, and what must be spent in order to achieve those outcomes. The reality is that all those organisations are completely under-funded, particularly in terms of the structures they occupy. They are at the receiving end of more and more artefacts and materials every year and the National Archives next month will get another year's material but has nowhere to put it. The Minister wonders why nobody visits it. It is because it is locaed in a biscuit factory and they can find nothing. That is the reality. Investment is required. Will he say, at least, what the future of the National Archives is, in terms of the building it will occupy in the future? When exactly will the National Archives — which the Minister regards as so precious — get the building it merits? The reality is that we shall lose the archives in a fire or something else unless he does something about it.

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