Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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97. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if, in the pursuit of a vital all-island approach to genealogical heritage, a conflict arises in the different legal regimes surrounding access to digitised records online versus digitised indexes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46866/14]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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This relates to having an all-Ireland approaching to genealogical heritage services. Obviously, there are two legal jurisdictions involved. I wish to draw attention to the General Register Office's birth, marriage and death records. We are out of synch with the North's progress. I presume the Minister will be able to address this matter.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I assume that her question relates to the indexes of births, deaths and marriages. As part of the Government's policy to enhance public access to our - I cannot say the next word; it is gone from me - heritage,-----

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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It is all right.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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-----online access to the indexes to births, deaths and marriages is in the process of being finalised through my Department's website www.irishgenealogy.ie. The provision of such access is a joint project between the Department of Social Protection, the General Register Office and my Department. I understand from my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection, that the online availability of historical registry data is now provided for in section 27 of the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014. The Act was signed by the President on 4 December and I understand that it will be subject to a commencement order in early 2015. Section 27 amends section 61 of the Civil Registration Act 2004 and provides for public access, via , to register entries in respect of births more than 100 years ago, marriages more than 75 years ago, and deaths more than 50 years ago. Currently, a member of the public cannot search the registers online. Instead, users may apply to the Registrar General, a superintendent registrar, a registrar or an authorised officer to search the registers on their behalf. The new provisions in the 2014 Act will allow a member of the public to directly search these historical registers, via online access, for the first time. The date restrictions are in line with international practice as regards what historic records are available online, and also reflect the current position in Northern Ireland.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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The website of the General Register Office of Northern Ireland, GRONI, provides indexes which lead the user to the actual records. The records that were made available on the website to which the Minister referred had to be taken down because the Data Protection Commissioner had a difficulty with the information that was thereby made available. Now, it seems, there is no such problem. However, we will park that issue for now. Will the Minister indicate when the information will be available online?

The GRONI website allows users, for a fee, not only to search the index entries but to see the records themselves. We should not be out of line with Northern Ireland in this regard. There was a major project done in Roscommon, at a cost of more than €10 million, where the records were digitised. Will those records, in addition to the indexes, be made available to the Department under the legislation to which the Minister referred and, if so, when is it likely to happen?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The relevant provision of the 2014 Act allows for public access, via , to the register entries. That legislation was signed by the President on 4 December. As I said, users will be able to see entries for births more than 100 years ago, marriages more than 75 years ago and deaths more than 50 years ago.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Will users be able to access the actual records or just the indexes?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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They will be able to access the register entries, which I presume is the actual record. I am aware of the facility that is available on the GRONI website. I will double-check to ensure the same facility will be available on our site. Users could previously click a link on the site and access the database that is controlled by the Department of Social Protection. That has been changed, but I will check with the Department and get back to the Deputy.