Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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111. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 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, and the estimated care and attention needed to preserve the records; 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. [35388/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The National Archives Act 1986 sets down the provisions for the preservation of records of Departments of State. My Department works closely with the Office of the National Archives of Ireland in relation to the archiving of Departmental records which warrant preservation as archives. That office provides on-going advice in relation to the identification of records for archiving, preparation, numbering, packaging, labelling and carriage of such records to the National Archives.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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112. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 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. [35409/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The cost of the storage of Records and Archives held by my Department is paid by the Office of Public Works at an annual cost of €255,000. The storage facility costs are not identified separately as between those intended for transfer to the National Archives or those referred for the purpose of on-going Departmental business. It is estimated that the archival material requires approximately one third of the space rented. In relation to Agencies it should be noted that the information sought is an operational matter for those agencies under the aegis of my Department.