National Archives temporarily closed to assess damage following leak
THE NATIONAL Archives of Ireland (NAI) is temporarily closed following a leak on the top floor of the building.
The NAI staff and conservation team have been on-site today to assess the extent of the damage, which was caused by a leak this morning.
The director of the NAI, Orlaith McBride confirmed that most of their records have already been moved off-site and are stored in secure storage.
The NAI will remain closed until Tuesday, October 31, to allow essential works to be completed.
Director, National Archives, Orlaith McBride, said: “The NAI staff and conservation team have been on-site all day assessing the extent of the damage. The special archival storage boxes and folders used by the National Archives are designed to withstand a high degree of water ingress; any damaged boxes from the affected areas have been removed to secure storage and are undergoing further examination. We can confirm that Census 1926 records have not been affected.”
The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, visited the premises on Bishop Street in Dublin this afternoon to view the damage caused.
Minister Martin commented: “I would like to commend the staff at the NAI for their speedy management of the situation. The leak was detected at 7:20am and their emergency control plans were immediately activated.
“Their own staff, their facilities Management Company, the Office of Public Works as well as electricians, plumbers and ICT specialists were on site since early this morning to ensure the situation was brought under control in a timely fashion.”
She added: “The National Archives is an extremely valuable State resource; and its collections are of great value to those researching the political, social and economic development of Ireland from the 18th century to the present day, as well as being of great use for family and local history research. The Department is committed to ensuring they are supported in any way to ensure their collections are secure for future generation.”