S.I. No. 550/2025 - National Archives Act 1986 (Section 8(1A)) (Transfer of Departmental Records) (No. 4) Order 2025

I, PATRICK O’DONOVAN, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 8 (1A) of the National Archives Act 1986 (No. 11 of 1986) (as adapted by the Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2025 ( S.I. No. 236 of 2025 )), being satisfied that –

(a) the transfer of the records concerned to the National Archives will facilitate the balanced and fair reporting of matters of common interest to the State and other jurisdictions, and

(b) the arrangements for such transfer are adequate,

following consultation with the Director of the National Archives and with the consent of the Taoiseach, the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (as adapted by the Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2025 ( S.I. No. 243 of 2025 )) and the Attorney General, hereby order as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the National Archives Act 1986 (Section 8(1A)) (Transfer of Departmental Records) (No. 4) Order 2025.

2. This Order shall come into operation on 1 December 2025.

3. The following class of Departmental records which are less than 30 years old but more than 20 years old, namely Anglo Irish records relating to the peace process and Northern Ireland, including Departmental records relating to the Good Friday Agreement, for the period from 1 December 2004 to 30 November 2005, that are held by the Office of the Attorney General, shall be transferred, in accordance with the National Archives Act 1986 (No. 11 of 1986), to the National Archives.

The Taoiseach consents to the making of the foregoing Order.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Taoiseach,

24 October, 2025.

MICHEÁL MARTIN,

Taoiseach.

The Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation consents to the making of the foregoing Order.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform, and Digitalisation,

4 November, 2025.

JACK CHAMBERS,

Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.

The Attorney General consents to the making of the foregoing Order.

GIVEN under my hand,

12 November 2025

ROSSA FANNING,

Attorney General

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

2 October, 2025.

PATRICK O’DONOVAN,

Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport.