Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 13: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of staff who administer the military archives; the location of the archives; if the public have access to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12455/05]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The military authorities advise that at present the strength of the staff in the military archives is five.

The military archives are located in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines, Dublin 6, and are the place of deposit for the records of the Department of Defence, the Defence Forces and the Army Pensions Board under the terms of section 14 of the National Archives Act 1986.

The function of the archive is to collect, preserve and make available material relating to the history of the development of the Defence Forces from the formation of the Irish Volunteers in November 1913 up to the present day, inclusive of Defence Forces overseas service with the United Nations from 1958. The archives also hold the Bureau of Military History collection.

Members of the public may arrange access to the archives by a system of prior appointment. This is necessary due to limitations on available space. In order to make an appointment, interested members of the public should contact the officer commanding military archives, Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines, Dublin 6, telephone number (01) 8046457. These details are also available on the Defence Forces website at www.defenceforces.ie.