Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I am delighted to speak on how we can grow tourism, and will focus on one particular area which builds on what Senator Mary Ann O'Brien has said about heritage. Related to heritage is our genealogical trail and how people access genealogical records.

In the late 1990s in Ireland, there were about 5,000 active genealogy enthusiasts. We reckon there are at least 100,000 today - it is an area of growth. People in the US and the UK in particular are tracing their family histories. It is an important area for tourism because people tend to trace their family histories where they live at first, and then want to go and visit the sites where their ancestors were. They want to stand on the land and be there. I cannot explain why. Two years ago, I went to a small town in Wisconsin and got to meet all the locals because three generations of my family left from a rural farm in County Clare and arrived at a remote place in Watertown, Wisconsin. I wanted to find out why they would go there and experience that sense of belonging.

When the 1901 and 1911 censuses went online - they are available on open access through the Irish National Archives, which is amazing - the genealogy service, ancestry.com, saw a 47% increase in interest in Irish records. Approximately 39% of that company's base is in the US with 48% in the UK. It has an amazing 2.7 million subscribers. Other similar services include Findmypast, and Eneclann- these sites provide access to the different records.

We need to make sure that we have the records available so we can bring people to Ireland. It was in the programme for Government to make the 1927 census available online. I believe the Central Statistics Office is blocking that, to put it bluntly, which is a shame as many people cannot access their records without that starting point, for example if their parents have died and they did not grow up with a lot of family history.

We also have an opportunity to create a genealogical hub in Dublin. Although we are competing against Scotland, Germany and Poland, Dublin is well placed for such a hub. Ancestry.comhas set up its international headquarters here, as have Findmypastand Eneclann. The main players are based here in Dublin but they will move if we are not seen to take an interest. They have tried to engage with the Government but are finding it difficult. I have tried to set up meetings on their behalf, which often get cancelled at the last minute.

When we are considering how to grow tourism, I appeal to the Minister to tap into this growing market. People want it; about five magazines come out every month on the topic. People have stories about going to visit their ancestors in Ireland and how much it meant to them. That tourism driving factor should not be underestimated. It is more than just keen amateurs. There are genealogical societies all over the USA. When I went to Wisconsin they knew nothing about The Gathering because we never thought to send that type of information to genealogical societies whose members might come back here for a reunion.Why not have a year of restoration or reunion where people could come back to be part of that ancestry and their family? I am happy to share with the Minister of State the work I have done in the area to determine what more can be done.

There are also exciting developments in the area of DNA which ensure that those who claim Irish heritage can turn that into a reality. We have to realise that there are 34.5 million Americans, some 11% of the population, who claim Irish heritage and we would have direct access to them if we tapped into genealogical roots. Such an approach would spread tourists across Ireland because people came from the west coast of Ireland during different periods. I found out through genealogy that many women left the west coast of Ireland in pre-Famine times because they would only have a future by going to America. We often think people starting leaving during the Famine. I want to make a plea to the Minister that we exploit the potential of genealogy and ensure we get access to records.