Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This was part of the memorandum presented to the Government recently. In the context of the decade of commemorations, I made a special request in that memorandum concerning the National Archives. There is broad Government support for the proposal. I have to return to the Government in two months with revised proposals but I certainly hope this will be one of the top priorities.

I acknowledge that the Deputy has a special interest in this matter, as do I having used the National Archives in the past. I hope the project will proceed in the context of the decade of commemorations but it will have to be agreed by the Government first. The OPW has carried out extensive investigations into the provision. I hope that if money can be provided, the project will proceed very rapidly. I hope it will be regarded as one of the projects associated with the commemoration in 2016 of the Easter Rising in 1916.

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