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A Chairde,
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The following is the text of the front page article of the June 2010 issue of ‘Ireland’s Genealogical Gazette’ which provides the current position on the Irish government’s proposal to merge the National Archives and the Irish Manuscripts Commission ‘into’ the National Library of Ireland.
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The following is the text of the front page article of the June 2010 issue of ‘Ireland’s Genealogical Gazette’ which provides the current position on the Irish government’s proposal to merge the National Archives and the Irish Manuscripts Commission ‘into’ the National Library of Ireland.
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‘SEPARATE BODIES, SEPARATE ROLES’
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During Ministerial questions in Dáil Éireann on Wednesday May 19th 2010 the Minister for Culture, Sport & Tourism, Mary Hanafin, TD acknowledged the sorry state of the National Archives facility at Bishop Street. In reply to Deputies Olivia Mitchell (Fine Gael) and Mary Upton (Labour) the Minister said that ’the storage difficulties at the National Archives are widely acknowledged. A permanent solution would be a new storage building, but in the current economic climate it will not be possible to set aside the necessary resources to construct a new building. However, I am concerned that the best possible use should be made of the accommodation that is currently available to the National Archives. There is a large warehouse behind the National Archives’ Bishop Street offices in which many archives are being stored. Unfortunately, the roof of the warehouse is of poor quality. As a result, many of the records have to be stored in waterproof plastic bales to protect them from damage and are not readily accessible to the public. The other main National Archives record store is located within the Four Courts complex, which makes retrieval difficult and relatively expensive.’
However, besides asking the Office of Public Works to keep the matter under review and to undertake certain remedial works the Minister ruled out any further investment in the building. On the issue of the proposed amalgamation of the National Archives, Irish Manuscripts Commission and the National Library the Minister appears to have taken on-board this Society’s position on the merger. The Minister assured Deputies that she was ‘absolutely satisfied that whatever processes and procedures are put in place will ensure the existence of two separate bodies with two independent directors and two separate roles. Moreover, these roles and the services provided will not change. This proposal is to ensure that such services are improved and that best use can be made of the facilities that would be available for both.’
The matter was raised again by the Leaders of the Fine Gael and Labour Parties on Tuesday June 1st 2010. An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, TD, in reply to parliamentary questions from Deputies Enda Kenny (Fine Gael) and Éamon Gilmore (Labour) clarified his governments plans for the merger of these institutions. He told the Dáil ‘that the Government has indicated that the National Archives, the Irish Manuscripts Commission and the National Library of Ireland shall be merged into a new national library and archives of Ireland. That merger will require amendment of the National Archives Act 1986 and the National Cultural Institutions Act 1997. The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Deputy Mary Hanafin, proposes to update the relevant archival legislation as part of that process. The new draft legislation will abolish three separate existing bodies and establish a new body. The initial draft of the legislation has been completed and transmitted to the directors of the National Archives and National Library and to the chairman of the Irish Manuscripts Commission for their observations. It is intended to bring the legislation before the Houses this year and it is the Minister’s intention to reappoint the council in a new guise in order to advise on the amalgamation process as soon as she has the observations of the directors and the chairman of the Irish Manuscripts Commission.’
Some degree of clarity is slowly emerging on this proposed merger but unfortunately there is still no commitment to any meaningful public consultation. But the continued insistence that this merger will result in savings through the sharing of ‘back-office services and technology’ requires greater scrutiny as such savings, if any, could simply be achieved contractually between the institutions without costly and cumbersome legislative measures. The Minister should focus instead on the benefits of modernising the legislative basis for the State’s archival services.
During Ministerial questions in Dáil Éireann on Wednesday May 19th 2010 the Minister for Culture, Sport & Tourism, Mary Hanafin, TD acknowledged the sorry state of the National Archives facility at Bishop Street. In reply to Deputies Olivia Mitchell (Fine Gael) and Mary Upton (Labour) the Minister said that ’the storage difficulties at the National Archives are widely acknowledged. A permanent solution would be a new storage building, but in the current economic climate it will not be possible to set aside the necessary resources to construct a new building. However, I am concerned that the best possible use should be made of the accommodation that is currently available to the National Archives. There is a large warehouse behind the National Archives’ Bishop Street offices in which many archives are being stored. Unfortunately, the roof of the warehouse is of poor quality. As a result, many of the records have to be stored in waterproof plastic bales to protect them from damage and are not readily accessible to the public. The other main National Archives record store is located within the Four Courts complex, which makes retrieval difficult and relatively expensive.’
However, besides asking the Office of Public Works to keep the matter under review and to undertake certain remedial works the Minister ruled out any further investment in the building. On the issue of the proposed amalgamation of the National Archives, Irish Manuscripts Commission and the National Library the Minister appears to have taken on-board this Society’s position on the merger. The Minister assured Deputies that she was ‘absolutely satisfied that whatever processes and procedures are put in place will ensure the existence of two separate bodies with two independent directors and two separate roles. Moreover, these roles and the services provided will not change. This proposal is to ensure that such services are improved and that best use can be made of the facilities that would be available for both.’
The matter was raised again by the Leaders of the Fine Gael and Labour Parties on Tuesday June 1st 2010. An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, TD, in reply to parliamentary questions from Deputies Enda Kenny (Fine Gael) and Éamon Gilmore (Labour) clarified his governments plans for the merger of these institutions. He told the Dáil ‘that the Government has indicated that the National Archives, the Irish Manuscripts Commission and the National Library of Ireland shall be merged into a new national library and archives of Ireland. That merger will require amendment of the National Archives Act 1986 and the National Cultural Institutions Act 1997. The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Deputy Mary Hanafin, proposes to update the relevant archival legislation as part of that process. The new draft legislation will abolish three separate existing bodies and establish a new body. The initial draft of the legislation has been completed and transmitted to the directors of the National Archives and National Library and to the chairman of the Irish Manuscripts Commission for their observations. It is intended to bring the legislation before the Houses this year and it is the Minister’s intention to reappoint the council in a new guise in order to advise on the amalgamation process as soon as she has the observations of the directors and the chairman of the Irish Manuscripts Commission.’
Some degree of clarity is slowly emerging on this proposed merger but unfortunately there is still no commitment to any meaningful public consultation. But the continued insistence that this merger will result in savings through the sharing of ‘back-office services and technology’ requires greater scrutiny as such savings, if any, could simply be achieved contractually between the institutions without costly and cumbersome legislative measures. The Minister should focus instead on the benefits of modernising the legislative basis for the State’s archival services.
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Ireland’s Genealogical Gazette – June 2010
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Michael Merrigan
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