Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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203. To ask the Minister for Health 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. [35397/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Health does not employ an archivist.

My Department has a contract with a records management company for the secure storage of the Department’s inactive records, incorporating ordinary storage, high security storage and multimedia storage. This state-of-the-art facility is protected from flood, and temperature and humidity are recorded and monitored. This ensures that documents cannot be damaged or lost by being exposed to external conditions.

However, when the Department next proposes to archive records, consideration will be given to the possibility of employing an archivist on a contract basis.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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204. To ask the Minister for Health the total cost of his Department and those under the aegis for the storage of records and archives that are ultimately intended to be forwarded to the National Archives in time; if he will provide this cost for 2012 and 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35421/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My Department has a contract with a records management company for storage and retrieval of the Department’s inactive records, incorporating ordinary storage, high security storage and multimedia storage, along with retrieval services for these records.

The cost of the storage of Departmental records is met by the Office of Public Works and the cost in 2012 and 2013 was €62,280 and €59,806 respectively.

I understand that the bodies under the aegis of my Department, including the HSE, are not scheduled under the National Archives Act, 1986.