Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 256: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the challenges there are at present and the challenges it is foreseen will develop in the future where the preservation of electronically stored records is concerned; the way in which he will address these challenges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27923/05]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has a policy on records management covering procedures relating to the creation, maintenance and eventual disposition of records. The policy, inter alia, includes the legal requirements relating to the preservation of records in accordance with the National Archives and freedom of information legislation and sets out procedures concerning the preservation of electronic records, including e-mail, computer generated reports and documents prepared on personal productivity software, for example, word processing software.

The immediate issue for my Department is the implementation of the Government's decentralisation programme which poses significant challenges in regard to the preservation and maintenance of the integrity of all my Department's records, not least those in electronic format. This is a key issue which is being addressed in the context of the risk analysis carried out in regard to the Department's implementation of the decentralisation programme.

In the wider context, much of the business of Government is now transacted electronically and departmental records are increasingly being created and maintained electronically. Other records that were created on paper are being digitised as part of large-scale projects linked to the delivery of e-Government. The digital versions of the latter records also have to be maintained electronically. The preservation of these records presents a number of challenges.

As the Deputy is aware, the National Archives which is part of my Department has statutory responsibility for departmental records, that is, the records of all Departments, the courts and the bodies listed in the Schedule to the National Archives Act 1986. It oversees the ongoing implementation of the provisions of the Act, and the regulations and guidelines made under the Act, with regard to the preservation or disposal of such records and their transfer to the National Archives.

In accordance with the National Archives Act 1986, the long-term preservation of electronic records is the responsibility of the National Archives while in the short term each Department and public body has responsibility for the preservation of its own electronic records. As yet there is no proven long-term storage medium for the preservation of records in digital form. To guard against loss of records due to the physical deterioration of the media on which they are stored, regular and continuing migration of such records to new storage media is required. Records created in proprietary software systems will have to be carried forward through later versions of these proprietary formats or, if practicable, exported to non-proprietary formats for permanent preservation. One of the challenges will be to maintain functionality of systems over time in these circumstances. Migration of records to new systems and formats will have to be undertaken in ways that will ensure their authenticity, reliability and evidential value over time.

As a first step in addressing these and other electronic record issues, in June 2003, I appointed to the staff of the National Archives a professionally qualified archivist with specific and exclusive responsibility for electronic records. Since then some progress has been made in the development of an electronic records unit within the National Archives, the development of strategies for the long-term preservation of electronic records covered by the National Archives Act and in drafting guidelines for the management of electronic records so as to ensure their survival as archives. Unfortunately that programme of work has been interrupted due to the recent resignation of the archivist. My Department is actively engaged with the Public Appointments Service to have this specialist vacancy filled. Further initiatives to increase the necessary skill base in the National Archives are also being actively pursued to ensure that in due course all Departments-offices will be provided with best practice guidelines for the maintenance of electronic records.