A Chairde, Further to the piece published in the April issue of ‘Ireland’s Genealogical Gazette’ please find, hereunder, an extended version of the lead article including more details on the suggestions proffered by the Genealogical Society of Ireland. Dr. Peter Crooks of Trinity College Dublin has to be warmly congratulated on the enormous turnout at the public meeting held in TCD on Saturday April 10th 2010. The meeting was called to highlight the very serious implications of the Government’s proposed amalgamation of the National Archives, National Library and the Irish Manuscripts Commission. Although announced in 2008 as a ’budgetary measure’ this proposed merger, as currently envisaged, could be enormously costly and hugely disruptive. This huge meeting was moderated by Prof. Diarmaid Ferriter of University College Dublin and was addressed in turn by Irish Society of Archivists representative, Caitríona Crowe, Irish Times columnist, Fintan O’Toole, and TCD Professor Eunan O’Halpin. These presentations were followed by numerous contributions from the floor dealing with all aspects of Irish archival heritage. Genealogical Society of Ireland Board member, Séamus O’Reilly, raised the serious and anomalous position of the records of the Irish Land Commission which have been moved from the National Archives building in Dublin to a storage facility in Co. Laois. These important records are ‘closed’ to the public, however, a very short Bill could deal with all the imagined or real legal impediments to having the Irish Land Commission records declared public records. Speaker after speaker condemned the apparent lack of any detailed analysis of the implications of the proposed merger before it was announced as Government policy in October 2008. No cost-benefit analysis, no comparative study, no comprehensive plan and yet, ‘Heads of a Bill’ have been prepared according to various speakers. Others focused on the need for the Minister to appoint the National Archives Advisory Council (NAAC) under Section 20 of the National Archives Act, 1986, which hasn’t been constituted since 2007. However, if the Minister was to accede to this request now, ironically it could simply render the TCD initiative redundant as the proposed merger could be discussed by the ‘few appointees’ behind closed doors. Indeed, with the Board of the National Library of Ireland and its committees due to complete their first five year terms next month, a long overdue opportunity now exists to open up the membership of these bodies to representatives of academic institutions and of the ordinary users of both the National Library and the National Archives. Whilst many organisations used the opportunity to publicly air their grievances and their concerns regarding the state of Irish archives, making the contribution on behalf of the Genealogical Society of Ireland, I focused on a strategic response to the proposed merger. Firstly, the Society cautioned against an open confrontation with the new Minister Mary Hanafin, TD, on this so called ’budgetary measure’ as a cooperative approach may prove more effective. Secondly, the Society urged the meeting to welcome the possibilities afforded by the required new legislation to deal with the many issues raised. For example, to update the National Archives Act, 1986 to possibly deal with: + Electronic data + Records of Quangodom + 30 Year Rule + Historic Medical Records + Land Commission Records + Places of Deposit + Digitisation + General Access And the National Cultural Institutions Act, 1997 to possibly deal with: + Electronic data + Web publishing + Heraldic services + Acquisitions policy + Digitisation + General access New legislation offers possibilities to update and to radically overhaul the State’s archival policies and to improve and expand the services offered. Thirdly, the GSI proffered the idea of ’legislative amalgamation’ that ensures the ’maintenance of the separate functions and identities’ of the National Archives and the National Library as two independently functioning institutions as follows:- + Maintenance of identity and function + Administrative savings + Coordinated policies + Expansion of services + Accountable governance – including academic and Sectoral representation. + Commitment to public’s right of free access + Targeted investment in digitisation. + Commitment to serve our Diaspora + Maintenance of a national inventory of archival collections. + Increased powers in respect to places of deposit, standards of maintenance and prohibition on export. + Framework for ongoing consultation & cooperation with the Universities and Institutes of Technology. + Provisions for the archiving of web based publications. + Provisions to ensure that records generated by ‘Quangodom’ are included. + Reduction in the 30 year rule. + Amending the Statistics, 1993 Act to allow access to Census Records after 70 years. + End the anomaly regarding the Land Commission records. + Provide for the State’s delivery of heraldic services. + Provide for a structured review every ten years to keep pace with technology and usage trends. Finally, the GSI insisted that the first objective of the proposed ’Action Committee’ should be to demand a meaningful public consultation process in advance of the production of any draft legislation. The GSI would propose that the Minister should seek submissions from the public and interested bodies on, for example, the following: + Services at the National Archives in the 21st century. + Archival Policy (other archival resources etc) + Accessibility (30 Year Rule etc) + Digitisation + Local Authority & State Agency Archives + Archives held by private institutions + Places of Deposit + Governance + Standing Advisory Committees / User Committees + Links to Third Level Colleges + Education and Outreach Policy, including services to our Diaspora + Services at the National Library in the 21st century. + Acquisitions Policy + Accessibility + Digitisation + Special Collections (Film, Photographic, Ephemera etc) + Heraldic Services + Governance + Standing Advisory Committees / User Committees + Links to Third Level Colleges + Education and Outreach, including services to our Diaspora As the latter point was the last contribution from the floor, after the meeting many attendees expressed their support for the constructive approach advocated by the Genealogical Society of Ireland. As a totally independent genealogical organisation, arguably the most experienced in legislative matters, the Society has sought membership of the ’Action Committee’. The GSI views this issue as an immensely important opportunity for legislative reform offering a bright future for both the National Library and the National Archives. Michael Merrigan General Secretary GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND www.familyhistory.ie

A Chairde, The following Written Reply to a Parliamentary Question on Tuesday 27th April 2010 in Dáil Éireann may be of interest. National Library. 265. Deputy Phil Hogan (Fine Gael, Carlow/Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, further to Parliamentary Question No. 627 of 20 April 2010 [see the first posting in this thread], the type of technical functions proposed to be merged; the effect that this will have on the respective collections of the institutions in question; the estimated savings from this proposal; the breakdown on the way these savings will be achieved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16689/10] Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Deputy Mary Hanafin, Fianna Fáil, Dún Laoghaire): The types of technical functions that are common to the institutions in question and which will be considered for merger are: Paper Conservation, Digitisation, Collections Management, Exhibitions, Education and Outreach and Maps. It is anticipated that this will have a beneficial effect on the collections of the institutions and it will be easier to exhibit material from the national collections held than is currently the case. While the exact future cost savings are difficult to isolate it is clear that savings can be achieved by this measure. (END TEXT) The matter was also raised in Seanad Éireann on Tuesday and Wednesday by Senator Ivana Bacik (Labour, Trinity College Dublin) during the Order of Business - seeking a full debate on this proposed merger and mentioning the TCD meeting of April 10th. The reply from the Leader (Senator Donie Cassidy, Fianna Fáil) seemed to indicate that he would welcome and facilitate a debate on the matter but more so in relation to tourism. For further info. on the Houses of the Oireachtas see www.oireachtas.ie Regards, Michael Merrigan General Secretary GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND www.familyhistory.ie