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Measure to preserve institutional records

A measure aimed at preserving privately held administrative and other historic records linked to various institutions has come into effect. 

The legislation covers relevant records relating to Magdalen Laundries, Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, industrial schools, orphanages, adoption agencies, and boarding-out arrangements, as well as the bodies that ran or oversaw these institutions and placement arrangements.  

It is now an offence for holders of relevant records to destroy, mutilate, falsify, fail to maintain, or to export them from the State. 

National Archives 

The measures, which have now been commenced by Roderic O’Gorman (Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth), are part of the Maternity Protection, Employment Equality and Preservation of Certain Records Act 2024, which was signed into law by the President on 28 October. 

Part 3 of the act also allows the Director of the National Archives to engage with potential private holders and request a statement of the relevant records they hold. 

“It ensures that records, which support an understanding of people’s identities and the institutional systems that shaped their life experiences, are preserved so that future access to them is not rendered impossible,” the minister stated. 

The measures do not apply to survivors or affected persons, or their families, who hold records relating to themselves and their own institutional experiences.