State archives in ‘rapid decline’, says Fórsa

THE quality of State records being released under the ‘30-year rule’ is in “rapid and steady decline”, according to trade union Fórsa.

Only four out of 61 State departments and agencies covered by the National Archives Act are up to date with their legal obligations to transfer records to National Archives Ireland, the body charged with maintaining records and making them available to the public.

Only six of the 61 bodies regularly transfer records to the National Archives.

Fórsa, which has members among staff at the National Archives, said the annual transfer of records under the 30-year rule has been scaled back this year because of a lack of storage space.

It warned there are more than 150 publicly funded State bodies – including Nama,

Tusla, the National Treasury Management Agency and the Garda Ombudsman – that have no legal requirement to maintain and archive records for eventual release to the public, journalists and academics under the 30-year rule.

A report, which was undertaken on behalf of the union’s Archivists’ Branch by Creative Cultures and Associates, found there was a substantial backlog in the processing of records and major shortcomings in the digitisation of records.

It said this was largely due to staffing and skills shortages in National Archives Ireland and the problem will be exacerbated when the 20-year rule comes into force, replacing the 30-year arrangement.

Fórsa official Seán Carabini said the crisis in the State’s archives means the quality of material being made available was in “rapid and steady decline”.