Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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155. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide an update on the digitisation project for the 1926 census which would deliver online access similar to the 1901 and 1911 records; the estimated cost involved; the specific challenges which must be overcome; the staffing required; if space will be provided at the National Archives of Ireland; if industry stakeholders have been consulted; when it is envisaged the project will be complete; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5508/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Governmentcontains a commitment to enabling the publication of the 1926 Census records in due course.

The digitisation of the 1901 and 1911 Census returns, which in relative terms was a simpler project than the proposed 1926 Census project, took over four years to complete. The 1926 Census is the next full set of Census records, after the 1911 returns, which is available to the State. However, current legislative provisions, as contained in the Statistics Act 1993, require that census data must be withheld for 100 years. Accordingly, it is not possible at this time to release the 1926 Census returns before the statutory period has elapsed in 2026. If the records were to be released before the expiry of 100 years, a major change in legislation and policy would be required to allow for the early release. This is not currently being proposed.

A 1926 Census Working Group has been formed, comprising officials from my own Department, the National Archives and the Central Statistics Office. The Group has examined this complex project and has assessed the significant resources - in terms of additional financial, staff and infrastructural resources - that will need to be in place to move the project forward to completion. I can say that, following discussions within the Working Group, I am of the opinion that the extensive preparatory work required to prepare the 1926 Census database for processing, and eventual digitisation to facilitate the release of the data into the public domain, should continue. It must be recognised, however, that, in light of the level of additional resources that will be necessary, and of the current engagement by the National Archives on a number of other important projects, including some that form a key part of the programme for the Decade of Commemorations, it will be necessary to work over time towards building the necessary capacity to undertake and oversee the 1926 Census project.

The cost to digitise the 1926 Census could be as high as €10m, as the Census has never been micro-filmed and the individual return sheets would need to be scanned and cross-indexed.

The Government agreed, as part of its capital stimulus package, to provide funding this year for phase one of a development plan at the Archives headquarters in Bishop Street. The OPW will shortly go to tender for the project and it is anticipated that works could begin by mid-2015. This will greatly increase the storage capacity of the National Archives. In addition, sanction has been given to run a competition for additional archivists for the National Archives, adding further to the capacity of the organisation.