Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

We are not going down that road. The existence of the copies should address the concerns of those who raised the issue with Senator Brian Hayes.

There is no legislative framework for moving the GRO to Roscommon. Equally, there is no necessity for it, nor is there any necessity in a legislative framework to have a facility available in Dublin. I have said — I believe the approach adopted is more prudent — that those who use genealogical services on an ongoing basis are usually students and academics. There are also secondary users such as visitors who like to come to Ireland to check records. Moreover, people wish to have records from a practical perspective. The current setting of the facility is certainly not on the main tourist trail or a part of Dublin with which people are familiar.