Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 5: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will consider making a formal request to his British counterpart for the return of the documents that were removed from Dublin Castle in 1922. [20423/05]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

In 1922, the departing British authorities removed considerable quantities of records from the Chief Secretary's Office in Dublin Castle to the Irish Office in London. While some of these records dated back to the mid-19th century, it is believed that most were concerned with the early 20th century. Unfortunately, it is understood that a large portion of the transferred records were destroyed as a health risk in the mid-1930s following the flooding of the basement in which they were held. Other records, including the Fenian papers, were returned to the State Paper Office in Dublin and are now held in the National Archives. Records remaining in England are now held among the records of the Colonial Office in the British National Archives at Kew, near London. Many of the most important of these records were published on microfilm in the 1990s. Copies of the microfilm publication are available in our National Archives in Dublin.

Prior to the development of modern information technology a strong case existed to seek the physical return of some of the records held at Kew. However, as it is increasingly the case that archival institutions worldwide are publishing their most important holdings in digital format, the physical location of the original material is not of as much relevance to historians and other researchers.

The National Archives is currently engaged in a number of major digital publication projects and, once these are well advanced, has undertaken to investigate the possibility of a co-operative digital publication programme of the early 20th century records it holds from the former Chief Secretary's Office and those records held in the British National Archives. I will endeavour to facilitate such a co-operative programme.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Minister has responsibility for the National Archives. There is also tourism potential for some of the material held as there would be long lists of records relating to the Royal Irish Constabulary and the Dublin Metropolitan Police.

I accept the point that new methods of technology allow for material to be looked at in remote locations. I have come across fascinating information on going through most of the boxes in Kew. My interest was in family history. However, a significant amount of the material I encountered, some of which was confiscated, would not transfer well to microfilm or CD-ROM. Some of the material is quite amusing. Song books feature among seditious material. Some of the information and records would be considered low level.

For a long time we were not in a position to request this material as there was not a normal relationship between the two countries. Now that the relationship has normalised, some of those records could usefully be returned. Does the Minister have any knowledge of the timeframe that Kew is working to in regard to microfilming or transferring these documents to an accessible format? The Public Record Office has an extensive and ongoing programme for First World War records.

The British National Archives at Kew is working to its own timeframe. Does the Minister know the timeframe to which it is working in respect of the Irish records? If they are to be available in the format that has been specified, the timeframe will be important. An important anniversary will fall next year and in this regard the records would be quite useful to students of history. I am sure the history curriculum will reflect this and the primary source of information should be available to students who may well want to look at the relevant documents.

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I will inquire into the intentions of the British National Archives regarding this matter and find out what it has done. It is fair to say that prior to the development of modern technology, there was a very strong case for the return to Ireland of at least some of the records of the chief secretary's office now held in the British National Archives at Kew, although this was always likely to have been resisted by the British authorities, mainly because they would have felt it would set a precedent setting in train requests for the return of records from many other British colonies that obtained independence in the mid-20th century. If I may put it as kindly as possible, there may have been what I would describe as a run on the cultural bank.

It is increasingly the case that archival institutions across the world are publishing their most important holdings in digital format, either on CD-ROM or on the Internet. Once this is done, the location of original archives will be of very little importance to historians and other researchers. However, I appreciate Deputy Catherine Murphy's point that it is important that records be made available in the format she specified so people can have access to them. I will inquire whether this has been done in respect of the documents in question and, if not, when it will be done and how long it will take.