Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

When I last raised this matter, along with other voices here in the Chamber on 23 February this year, the Taoiseach indicated he was not aware of the position on the safe retention of electronic documentation. He told us that he expected the comments in the Seanad of the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Martin Mansergh, to be correct. I brought to the attention of the Taoiseach at that time the fact that Minister of State had stated in the Seanad that documents held electronically will not be preserved. I take it from what the Taoiseach is indicating today that what the Minister of State outlined is not the case.

Is it now the case that electronic records will be preserved? Does the Taoiseach agree they are just as important as written material that is traditionally preserved? Will he indicate what has changed since his response and the comments by the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh in February this year, and whether the position prior to that in February is now the case with regard to electronic material recorded prior to that date? Is it a new development that preservation will be the order of the day or does it pertain to the beginning of the holding of electronic material?

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