PAC alarm at data project 25 years from completion

ARTS Minister John O’Donoghue was last night accused of failing to get a grip on €35 million swallowed up by a historical database project which is 25 years from completion due to internal divisions.

Members of the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) expressed alarm at the way the Irish Genealogical Project has been allowed to drift and descend into feuding between agencies.

The 10-year initiative has swallowed €32.2m in taxpayers’ money from FÁS as a “make-work” scheme collating 28 million church and civil historical records dating back to the beginning of the 1800s.

The Arts, Sport and Tourism Department has also extended grants totalling €2.5m since 1997, when the project was moved from the Taoiseach’s Department to a new company, Irish Genealogy Ltd (IGL).

Arts Department general secretary Philip Furlong told the PAC of “long-standing differences” between IGL and its partner, the Irish Family History Foundation (IFHF), over roles and operational practices.

“The failure of attempts to resolve these differences have raised questions as to the ability of IGL to oversee the project to its completion.

“IGL have estimated at the current rate of progress it will take 20 to 25 years to complete the computerisation of the outstanding church records using the FÁS trainees,” Mr Furlong said.

He also admitted the original intention of the project — to create data input jobs and boost tourism through family history centres — had largely been overtaken by advances in technology and a much healthier economic outlook.

Green TD and PAC member Dan Boyle said the minister had taken his eye off the ball regarding the project.

“I don’t think the department can get away with saying they have a hands off role because IGL is a company.

“They have been giving it millions of euro of public money and they should have kept a tighter control on what was happening to that money.

“The FÁS investment is one thing, as that seems to have had a beneficial effect in terms of training and employment, but the project as a whole seems to have gone off course to a great extent,” he said.

Mr Furlong indicated that with the required level of urgency the project could be completed within the next four years.