Lorraine Higgins (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to discuss this interesting Bill, which has been introduced by our colleague, Senator Ó Murchú. He must be commended for showing such an interest in this topic. I understand the Senator is seeking to propose amendments to the Statistics Act 1993, which would mean that the provisions of the Act would no longer apply to the 1926 census. As many of us in this House know, the 1993 Act precludes the release of census information for a period of 100 years. If this Bill is passed, all information pertaining to the 1926 census will be released for consumption by interested parties. As a result of these amendments, all information pertaining to the period between 1911 and 1926 will be brought into the public domain. The 1926 census will be referred to as the first census undertaken by the Irish Free State and, consequently, the 1911 census will be referred to as the last one taken on the entire island of Ireland by the UK authorities.

In the 19th century, there was a common trend that a census of population was carried out in Ireland every ten years. Despite this, there was no census in Ireland in 1921. There is a further dearth of census information for the 19th century because the census returns of 1821, 1831, 1841 and 1851 were in the Public Records Office when it was destroyed by fire and explosions in 1922. Hardly any of those records survive today. To add to this sorry episode in our genealogical history, the census returns of 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891 had been destroyed well before 1922. As a result, our rich genealogical heritage is pretty much unrecorded, which is regrettable.

I started to do some research after I was asked to lead this debate on behalf of the Labour Party group in this House. Having looked at the 1911 census online and discovered some new information about my grandfather and his family, I am intrigued to know more. That is not possible, unfortunately, because the 1926 census is subject to the 100-year rule. I also learned that October is family history month in the United States and Canada. Senator Ó Murchú mentioned that an annual genealogy event, Back to our Past, will take place this Friday in the RDS. The wonderful success of The Gathering, which led to thousands of additional people visiting these shores, has created a new interest among the diaspora in developing further links with this country, particularly in individual counties. Is there a better way of doing that than by acquiring family information?

The 100-year rule that was set out in section 35 of the Statistics Act 1993 precludes us from knowing more. No census information can be imparted until 100 years have passed. This is a pity in the context of the diaspora-focused events like The Gathering that are nearing an end and the events of national significance that are approaching.

For example, the centenary commemorations of the 1916 Rising will bring renewed focus on the country and the need to find out who we are will become more pressing so a change in legislation would be required to allow for their early release. That forms part of the reason Senator Ó Murchú is bringing this Bill before the House this evening. As a consequence of the foregoing, the 1926 records have a significant heritage value and provide a unique and much-needed snapshot of life during the period from 1911 to 1926 in Ireland's history. We can imagine what a valuable resource this would be for genealogists and social historians. We must remember that most of the significant events in our country's history happened in this period, including the First World War, the Easter Rising in 1916, the general election in 1918 which led to the establishment of the first Dáil, the declaration of independence and the War of Independence. When the new Irish Free State held its census in 1926, it was at the height of the economic depression and emigration, which could shine more light on us as a people.

I know the Minister of State has shown a large amount of goodwill towards the idea of opening up the 1926 census through the establishment of a 1926 census working group comprising officials from his Department, the National Archives and the Central Statistics Office, which is tasked with investigating how best to enable the publication of the census records within the current parameters. I urge the Minister of State to be mindful that census returns in the US are all available online from the late 18th century right up to 1940. Indeed, work is ongoing to prepare the 1950 census for release shortly. Senator van Turnhout referred to other countries as well where one can find a plethora of information relating to genealogy online. I ask the Minister of State to make a submission to the working group that all censuses be available after a shorter period - perhaps 50 years - in the interests of providing a greater opportunity for Ireland to promote an awareness, appreciation and knowledge of our ancestry among our diaspora. I understand there could be legal implications or restrictions but it is something that is worth doing if it can be done within the legal parameters. I understand there is a crux in the wheel of progression on this matter given the difficult job of all Ministers in the financial climate in which we find ourselves. The cost of digitising and publishing the 1926 census is expected to be higher than that of the 1911 project because the 1926 census has never been micro-filmed and the individual return sheets would need to be scanned and cross-indexed, which would be quite labour-intensive and expensive.

The release of the 1926 census would not only provide a much-needed shot in the arm for Irish genealogy and family history research but one for Irish tourism in general. We see how successful The Gathering has been. There has been a renewed interest in genealogy as a consequence. It would certainly spark a growth in the industry. I urge the Minister of State to look at every avenue to see if it can be made a reality.