Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I very strongly support amendment No. 7. I support amendment No. 8 as well but amendment No. 7 is absolutely pure common sense and should be accepted by the Minister. Amendment No. 7 addresses the part of the Act that says where we have records the Minister is satisfied are of significant historical or public interest and where he or she is also satisfied the transfer of those records will facilitate the balanced and fair reporting of matters of common interest to the State and other jurisdictions, he or she may publish them. If the Minister is satisfied they are of significant historical and public interest and is satisfied they can be transferred and dealt with in a fair and balanced way, those are sufficient safeguards. We do not need the word "may" there, we need the word "shall". If they are that important, if we have the mechanisms to deal with them and they are also satisfactory, "shall publish" is the only phrase that is acceptable there.

There is a danger. We do not want a situation in which an entire nation is denied part of its history because a Minister of the day - not the present Minister - may not like what he or she sees even though he or she recognises its historical interest and recognises that it can be shared. I feel strongly about it. I hope my colleague presses a vote on the amendment because I feel strongly about it. It is very good.

I recognise what it attempts to do with regard to the director of the National Archives. I would have preferred a combination role for the Minister and the director of the National Archives but I appreciate the sentiment involved in trying to move this away from political influence.

I urge the Minister to publish the census of 1926. I know the amendment concerned was ruled out of order but it would be wonderful for us to have it.