Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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101. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if it is the practice of his Department to employ an archivist to examine records and archives once records are deemed appropriate for archiving to determine the quality of the records, the importance, the estimated care and attention needed to preserve the records and so on; if not if he will consider this option in order to best capture the most valuable records before they potentially deteriorate in storage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35398/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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A dedicated Records Management Unit in my Department oversees and promotes the implementation of the Department’s records management policy guidelines. These guidelines demonstrate how the creation and maintenance of complete and accurate records is essential to enable the Department to carry out its business and to meet its statutory obligations under the National Archives Act, 1986 and other legislation including the Freedom of Information Acts, the Data Protection Act and the Ethics in Public Office Act. The guidelines, which are regularly updated and issued to all staff, serve to inform staff of the procedures for classifying, filing and retrieving records while also ensuring that standards for a systematic and consistent approach to creating, maintaining and disposing of records continue to be practised by all staff.

The Records Management Unit works closely with senior management to ensure that officers in each business unit are assigned responsibility for managing records in accordance with the provisions of the National Archives Act. In-house training courses are also provided by the Records Management Unit for staff who have specific records management coordination functions. In addition, all Principal Officers and Heads of Units in my Department act as Certifying Officers under the National Archives Act. The role of the Certifying Officer is to sign the Certificates provided for in Sections 7 and 8 of the Act which relate, respectively, to the retention and disposal of Departmental Records and the transfer of Departmental Records to the National Archives.

While it is not the practice of my Department to employ an archivist to examine records and archives once records are deemed appropriate for archiving, my Department regularly engages with the officials in the National Archives Office for the purpose of availing of their advice and guidance with regard to the implementation of the provisions of the National Archives Act, 1986.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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102. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the total cost to the Department and those under the aegis of the Department for the storage of records and archives that are ultimately intended to be forwarded to the National Archives; if he will provide this cost for 2012 and 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35422/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The cost of offsite storage for records that may be forwarded, in time, to the National Archive is set out in tabular format which follows.

The provisions of the National Archives Act, 1986, do not apply to Agencies under the aegis of my Department so the reply includes costs for the Department and its offices only.