Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have people here who are prepared to be reflective on an issue that may not be a high priority but, on the other hand, is exceptionally important to us as a people. Each contribution today added something to the debate and to our understanding of the potential of the 1926 census.

Sometimes when there is a counter-view - as with the counter-view to the Bill before the House - it relates to a single issue. However, when I see a multiplicity of reasons put forward as to why something cannot be done, little alarm bells start to go off in my head. In other words if the issue was merely one of confidentiality, we would discuss confidentiality.

There have been some very good contributions up to this point, including those by Senators O'Keeffe and Mooney. When I hear a cost factor, the CSO and so many other issues coming in, I begin to think that an opportunity is being lost in not allowing the Bill to proceed to Committee Stage.

This is for the simple reason that on Committee Stage we would be helping the working group and helping to advise the Government. This was the purpose of what we were trying to do today. We could have teased out on Committee Stage each of the points which were put forward in a nicely balanced way by the Minister of State. We could have teased all of those out on Committee Stage because that is what happens on Committee Stage. An opportunity may be lost if we do not do that. It would represent an opportunity lost for the Government and for the country and that is important.

We need to listen to people outside the Chamber a little more. I imagine the discussion that will take place in the RDS next Friday. Tens of thousands of practitioners will be present at the genealogy event. They will be aware that this Bill is in the House and they will be debating this in a big way. They will be coming at this in a focused and experienced way. It could be the case if they take the time to read the contributions from today that they see that perhaps an opportunity was lost and that will not do us much good.

The point was put forward by Senator Mooney that all the parish records in the country have been digitised. Most of them have been digitised under FÁS schemes. When an audit was carried out on the records, it was found that the error rate was less than 3% although the acceptable error rate is far higher. Eneclann Limited carried out the audit and found that it was less than 3%, showing the accuracy of what was being done.

Let us consider what this would have meant. It would have meant that the very schemes which were being discussed in the budget yesterday could have been availed of and used for this same purpose. Certainly, it would have involved training; there is no question about that, but it would have been real training for those people. An opportunity has been lost and the €5 million is not necessarily an argument in that regard.

I have explained that we could help the working group by proceeding on Committee Stage. From the contributions I have heard today, it is clear many Members could sit on that working group because of the knowledge they have. I maintain we should still allow the Bill to go forward and I would like to think that is still possible. We have come through a referendum. This is one of those occasions when we show independence, that we are different and that we are being helpful and positive. In fact, there was not one negative or destructive comment made about the Government and there was no partisanship in the House today. There was no politics. This was the argument made during the referendum in favour of why the Seanad should be retained. We proved it today by the subject we selected and by the contributions.

I have no doubt that we are reflecting the views among the people interested in genealogy and those who want to trace their roots. This is a great opportunity to salute, acknowledge, recognise and show gratitude to the 75 million people of Irish extraction. We are sitting in this small Chamber. They are sitting throughout the world. It is not a matter of the Skibbereen Eagletelling the tsar what to do but I know for a fact that, surprisingly, they will be listening closely and they will read what happened in the House today. We had an opportunity to do the right thing for them, for our ancestors and because we have survived all the challenges that have come our way and we are still here, a strong proud and positive nation.