Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 225: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of searches made in the research section of Civil Registrations in 2005; the number of these that were general searches; the number that were particular searches; the cost of running this section in 2005; the reason there were substantial increases in fees in 2006; if the increased charges for research imposed in 2006 affected the number of searches; the income it generated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43631/06]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 226: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, in view of the importance of civil registration as one of the primary sources for genealogy purposes, her Department has explored with other Departments, agencies and institutions a joint approach to making available on-line such information as the 1901 and 1911 census, primary valuation and cancelled valuation books, the tithe records and church records; if such consideration has been given, the outcome of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43632/06]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 227: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when work on completing the digital format of the civil registration records back to 1845 will be completed; the stage the project is at; when a new research premises will be available to the public; when the new system will be available on-line; if consideration has been given to making the 1901 and 1911 census available at this location in a digitised format; if consideration has been given to the charging regime around the digital format; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43633/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 225 to 227, inclusive, together.

Statutory responsibility for the administration of civil registration in Ireland, which includes the provision of facilities for searching indices to civil registration records, is vested in An tArd-Chláraitheoir (The Registrar General). His office, Oifig an Ard-Chláraitheóra (The General Register Office — GRO) is the central repository for all records, and index books to such records, relating to the civil registration of births, deaths, marriages, domestic adoptions and stillbirths in the State.

I have made enquiries of An tArd-Chláraitheoir regarding the matters raised by the Deputy and he advises me that he does not routinely collect and collate data relating to the numbers of searches, general or otherwise, undertaken at the Research Facility maintained by him at Joyce House, Dublin 1.

The fees for registration services, including the fees for family/genealogical research, were set in 1987. These fees were revised in December 2005. The charge for a particular search increased from €1.90 to €2.00 while the charge for a general search increased from €15.24 to €20.00. The latter represents an increase of 31%. During the period 1987 to 2005 the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 68%. The increase in fees is justified on the basis that the last increase was in 1987 and a substantial investment has been made in modernising the civil registration system in recent years.

The number of persons presenting at the facility to undertake family history/genealogical research varies from year to year but would average 8000 persons per annum. The income generated from search fees will vary as a consequence but in the current year will be of the order of €240,000. There is no evidence to date to suggest that the fees increase in 2005 has impacted adversely on the numbers availing of the service.

The position in relation to the cost of running the research facility in 2005 is that, as the entire GRO staff complement was located in Joyce House until the decentralisation of GRO to Roscommon in April, 2005 it is not possible to isolate the precise cost of providing the research facility from other costs generally associated with running the entire operation during the period in question. However, based on current salary scales and a notional 40% addition for office facilities and overheads, the estimated cost of providing the research facility is of the order of €400,000 in a full year.

Searching of GRO records for members of the public involves accessing index books to records of births, deaths and marriages and searching these indices in order to identify specific entries in the records and, if required, purchasing either photocopies or certified copies of the identified entries in the records.

The Civil Registration Service has been engaged in a major programme of modernisation in recent years which included the introduction of a computerised civil registration system and a project to capture electronically in excess of 150 years of historical paper records, and their associated indices, relating to life events. Thus far, birth records from 1864 to date, death records from 1924 to date and marriage records from 1920 to date are available on a live computer system. The remainder of the data viz. death records from 1864 to 1923 and marriage records from 1845 to 1919, has been captured electronically but a substantial amount of data cleaning and conversion work is required before it can be released to the computer system. An tArd-Chláraitheoir is unable to give a specific timeframe for the completion of this requirement but it will be considered in the context of planning for the continued development of the service in 2007. It is important to note, however, that the years covered by the data currently available on the computerised Civil Registration System is sufficient to meet the vast majority of the daily business needs of the service.

Part of the modernisation programme includes a project to create an electronically searchable database of the indices to the electronic records. From a research perspective, where the focus of family history researchers and genealogists alike tends to lean towards the retrieval of older records, the creation of an electronic database of indices will facilitate easier and more efficient and effective record searches. It will also facilitate the extension of the availability of the indices beyond the single physical repository, at the moment, of the Research Facility at GRO, Dublin to the wider HSE offices nationwide where civil registration is carried out. A new Research Facility, a feature of which will be electronic research, is being developed at a city centre location, adjacent to public transport services and the refurbishment works and fitting-out required to facilitate its use as such is underway. It is hoped that it will be commissioned towards the middle of 2007 and will be extended in due course to facilitate internet research. I have not, as yet, given any consideration to charges in connection with electronic research.

An tArd-Chláraitheoir is aware that the records he maintains are a valuable source for research purposes and the particular requirements of those engaged in such research are being taken into account in the context of the overall modernisation of the service. The provision of a new research facility is evidence of this and he is satisfied that substantial benefits from its commissioning will accrue to members of the public who wish to avail of the service.

He points out, however, that his primary function is to ensure the delivery of the system of civil registration of births, deaths, marriages, adoptions and stillbirths in the State and to provide for the extension of the system to decrees of divorce and decrees of civil nullity in line with the provisions of the statutes governing civil registration. His office does not engage in family history/genealogical research, which has developed as a spin-off to civil registration.

Plans to make information available on-line in relation to the 1901 and 1911 census, primary valuation and cancelled valuation books, tithe records and church records are a matter for the agencies having ownership or control of those records and do not come within the statutory functions of An tArd-Chláraitheoir.