Mr Joe Costello (Lab), expressed delight that the Department of Education was ready to consider fully any serious request for access to the records on industrial schools and reformatories for academic research.
Public Enterprise Minister of State, Mr Joe Jacob, on behalf of the Minister for Education, Mr Martin, said in some instances the information held by the Department dated back to the last century and varied considerably between schools.
The records contained general data relating to more than 36,000 children. They included 10,000 files on individual youngsters, with varying amounts of detail. Files also existed on the original arrangements surrounding the establishment of some of the reformatory and industrial schools and also on their general administration, funding and inspection. The number of children accommodated in these institutions ranged from 6,378 in 1949 to 796 in 1984.
Last year, the Department had engaged professional archivists to conduct a detailed examination of all the files, records and registers relating to the industrial and reformatory schools in its possession. This work would be completed within weeks. Mr Jacob said the House would appreciate the extremely sensitive nature of much of the data involved in this area. Access to it would have to be very strictly controlled.
"Serious academic researchers have been allowed access to some of these records in the past and the Minister would be anxious that such research should continue to be facilitated. The Department is in consultation with the National Archives Office regarding the question of future access to the records in question."