Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I understand that the Government is preparing legislation relating to the National Archives. There is a proposal to merge the National Archives of Ireland, the National Library of Ireland and the Irish Manuscripts Commission. Leaving aside whether that is a good or bad idea, or whether Government attention and resources should be devoted to such an extent on the amalgamation of bodies like that, the introduction of that legislation would provide an opportunity to address the issue of the time limit. The Taoiseach has outlined the exemptions in respect of national security, protection of individuals and so on, which obviously could still apply and which, as he indicated in his first reply, were observed in respect of five files and a number of documents abstracted. It would seem there is no good reason there should be a blanket 30 year rule.

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