Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 268: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if his Department has a strategy to reduce the level of printed correspondence, communications, reports and other documents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12783/08]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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It has always been a key objective of my Department to maximise the use of its website in the delivery of services to its customers. The development and updating of the website is kept under review in the context of delivery of commitments in my Department's Customer Charter and IT Strategy.

Where possible documents, reports, press releases etc are made available on the website and customers are directed to it in response to requests for information as an alternative to issuing it in hard copy. In this regard applications for grants under my Department's Sports Capital and Access programmes can be downloaded and applicants are encouraged to furnish their applications online. In addition staff in my Department are encouraged to make use of electronic communications and to use electronic versions of documents as far as possible.

Furthermore, the National Archives, which is also part of my Department, has recently launched the first phase of the digitization of the 1911 Census of Ireland whereby people of Ireland and of the Irish Diaspora are now able to search for their ancestors by name. Access to the census records with an index to every name service is free online. This initiative will help to reduce the level of printed correspondence and communications generated by the National Archives.