Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Until the National Archives takes custody of my Department's records or alternative measures to ensure the preservation and accessibility of the records prior to eventual transfer to the National Archives, my Department will continue to retain electronic documents and records indefinitely. The electronic records are held in my Department and there is sufficient storage to hold those records; until the National Archives Act comes into play for them and they are transferred, they will be held in my Department.

The Department uses standard well-documented formats such as Microsoft Word and Excel, portable document formats and Lotus Notes for electronic documents and records. Whenever system or database upgrades are performed, checks are carried out to ensure existing electronic documents and records remain accessible from the upgraded system or database. It is also standard practice in my Department to convert data in older formats to more modern formats on an ongoing basis to preserve accessibility into the future.

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