Sir, – A level playing field in relation to the availability of historical material pertaining to Anglo-Irish relations is unattainable. This is due to the sheer imbalance of material generated by the British and Irish civil service.
The British system, honed over years of experience as a global power, kept meticulous records. Such material, generated by the Republic of Ireland Department (founded in 1972) within Department of Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Home Office, the Northern Ireland Office and the Ministry of Defence as well as cabinet minutes afford interested parties the opportunity to trace policy from genesis to realisation with remarkable transparency.
Conversely, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Justice, for reasons of resources did not generate the same amount of material in comparable detail.
Moreover, the culture within Irish policy decision-making – which apparently still prevails – whereby important discussions, meetings and briefings occur with little to no written record further impedes efforts at addressing the imbalance.
Therefore it is inevitable that, despite a reduction in the 30-year rule, the British records will continue to guide the narrative of Anglo-Irish relations. Provided researchers engage with material in a critical fashion this is not in itself a major concern. – Yours, etc,
ANDREW WALSH,
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.