APGI comments on Genealogy Service withdrawal

The Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland has posted additional details on its website about the suspension of the Genealogy Service last week at the National Archives of Ireland. The statement is at www.apgi.ie/news.html.

In short, it looks like the Irish Government thought that APGI's members were born yesterday - trying to impose conditions for a new contract to continue the service which the body has found unacceptable. The Irish Government is trying to force through a merger between the NAI and the National Library of Ireland, and various terms of the new contract to continue the service went beyond the realms of reason, with APGI diplomatically commenting that "When the invitation to tender was published it was for a single contract to provide a genealogical service in both the National Archives and the National Library. The criteria for the services in the two locations indicated that they would be fundamentally different in terms of duties and duration. In particular, under the terms of the invitation to tender, provision of a genealogy service at the National Library of Ireland would differ in many ways from that required at the National Archives – a service that has been of outstanding value to members of the Irish Diaspora."

Blogger Claire Santry has commented on the APGI news also, observing that its statement is polite, but that "behind the scenes there is huge resentment". Her post is available at http://irish-genealogy-news.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/update-on-suspension-of-genealogy.html

At a time when the genealogy industry is fast growing in the Republic of Ireland, this would seem to be yet another example of government rhetoric not keeping pace with the actual needs of the industry. But at least you can still order your Certficate of Irish Heritage...

Chris

Check out my Scotland's Greatest Story research service www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)