Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 49 of 18 July 2012, if he will provide details of the engagement he has had with national cultural institutions in relation to developing a commemorative programme to tie in with the Decade of Centenaries and the Gathering event; if part of this engagement has been with the National Archives, the National Library, the Military Archives section of the Defence Forces, and other such genealogical resources with a view to providing a consolidated means of assisting persons, particularly foreign tourists, in tracing Irish ancestry; if there will be any genealogical component to either the Decade of Centenaries of the Gathering; if he will elaborate on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42019/12]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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The national cultural institutions will make significant contributions, both to the commemorative programme for the Decade of Centenaries and The Gathering. Among the initiatives by the cultural institutions, the centenaries commemorative programme has already included special events such as the restoration and presentation of the Asgard at the National Museum, the introduction of online access to the records of the military archives in association with the National Archives, and the collecting and recording of World War memorabilia by the National Library as part of a Europeana programme. Supporting education and providing access to information are also very important elements of the commemorative programme. I will continue to work with the cultural institutions on their further contributions to the programme in the coming years. A priority interest on my part has been to increase the availability of records whenever possible. The Deputy will be aware of the continuing preparation for public access to the records of the Military Service Pensions Archive, relating to service in the Easter Rising and War of Independence. I am very pleased that the Defence Forces are working in close co-operation with the National Archives on this project, including giving careful consideration to the use of electronic information systems. I believe the making available of material online will assist people greatly, especially those inquiring from abroad, in tracing Irish ancestry.

I set out in my earlier reply to Question No. 13 information regarding a number of initiatives that the National Cultural Institutions are promoting, which are specifically designed to contribute to the success of The Gathering. I also referred to the contribution that will be made by the Arts Council, and by both the Culture Night and International Celebration of Irish Culture initiatives. In the heritage area, I referred to two new websites I recently launched - Places to See and Monuments to Visit - that aim to highlight lesser-known national monuments and heritage buildings that are open to the public but which tend to be only visited by those very familiar with the particular area in which they are situated. It is hoped that the new websites will assist in welcoming relatives and friends from abroad as part of The Gathering. Finally, I am conscious that genealogy will be a subject of particular interest in the context of The Gathering. There is a wide range of genealogical material available in the country. In relation to my Department and the agencies under my auspices, genealogical services are provided by the National Library of Ireland, the National Archives and through the website , which is operated by my Department. My Department and the institutions are exploring what improvements can be made to our genealogical offering against the backdrop of The Gathering. That work is ongoing.