Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat a Chathaoirligh. On 15 December last I raised this issue in the House during the Order of Business. It relates to the Genealogical Society of Ireland, GSI, and its premises in Dún Laoghaire and the harbour company in Dún Laoghaire. A week before I raised the issue, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council passed a motion calling for the chief executive to convene an early meeting of the board of the Genealogical Society of Ireland to discuss the decision of the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company to acquire its premises, which houses a unique archive and research facility of the society, and indeed to explore the assistance the council could provide in keeping the valuable cultural and educational facility in Dún Laoghaire open. It was proposed by Councillor Shane O'Brien of Sinn Féin and seconded by Councillor Patricia Stewart of Fine Gael.

I am very proud to call the Genealogical Society of Ireland a friend and to be a nominee of that society for the purposes of elections to this House, elections in which the society has been a nominating body for some time. The charity was established in 1990 to promote an awareness, appreciation and knowledge of our genealogical heritage both in Ireland and among our global diaspora. Our societal connection with the diaspora around the world is often a one-way street, but in this case it is not. It is a representation of its great value that many people among the diaspora have availed of this national service.

The society is devoted to the promotion and study of genealogy and related subjects such as educational leisure pursuits available to all the community, irrespective of age. It exhibits at major events and it is based on the Carlisle pier in Dún Laoghaire. I mention the senior citizen element of this and the increasingly ageing demographics of Dublin county. Given that GSI service users are predominantly of an older age, it is imperative that we do all we can to ensure that this first-class service is not lost to those who avail of it. I am sure that many of the Minister's constituents and friends avail of this important service. The society engages in outreach.

I call on the Minister to intervene with immediacy with the chief executive of the harbour company and the chief executive of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to have the decision rescinded pending the transfer the transfer of the harbour company to the council because this institution cannot close. It goes beyond the remit of the harbour company to essentially ask the Genealogical Society of Ireland to pack its bags.