Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)

What consultations did the Minister have with what one might call the experts in the area from both the National Archives and the National Library? I would have thought the functions of each are quite separate. While the Minister identified some common ground, the functions of each institution are highly distinct. Certainly, the experts perceive no real purpose in combining them. To take up on the point regarding cost-benefit analysis, it is difficult to envisage what would be the overall savings, were this simply meant to be a cost saving exercise.

As a separate issue, does the Minister agree it would be more appropriate to have a 15-year rule, rather than a 30-year rule? While I appreciate this would generate the need for more space, I believe that 15 years now appears to be an adequate length of time and the records should be available within that period.

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