National Archives Act 1986
Number 11 of 1986
NATIONAL ARCHIVES ACT 1986
REVISED
Updated to 16 September 2025
This Revised Act is an administrative consolidation of the National Archives Act 1986. It is prepared by the Law Reform Commission in accordance with its function under the Law Reform Commission Act 1975 (3/1975) to keep the law under review and to undertake revision and consolidation of statute law.
All Acts up to and including Statute Law Revision Act 2025 (10/2025), enacted 23 July 2025, and all statutory instruments up to and including Sea Pollution (Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. No. 432 of 2025), made 16 September 2025, were considered in the preparation of this Revised Act.
Disclaimer: While every care has been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act, the Law Reform Commission can assume no responsibility for and give no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or up to date nature of the information provided and does not accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions. Please notify any errors, omissions and comments by email to
revisedacts@lawreform.ie.
Number 11 of 1986
NATIONAL ARCHIVES ACT 1986
REVISED
Updated to 16 September 20255
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
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Section |
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Right to direct that certain records be made available for public inspection. |
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Authenticity of records after transfer to National Archives. |
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Acts Referred to |
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1956, No. 45 |
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Civil Service Regulation Acts, 1956 and 1958 |
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County Management Acts, 1940 to 1972 |
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Irish Church Act Amendment Act, 1881 |
1881, c. 71 |
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Parochial Records Act, 1876 |
1876, c. 58 |
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Prisons Acts, 1826 to 1980 |
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Public Records (Ireland) Act, 1867 |
1867, c. 70 |
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Public Records (Ireland) Act, 1867, Amendment Act, 1875 |
1875, c. 59 |
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Superannuation Acts, 1834 to 1963 |
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Number 11 of 1986
NATIONAL ARCHIVES ACT 1986
REVISED
Updated to 16 September 20255
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BODY TO BE KNOWN AS THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND FOR OTHER CONNECTED MATTERS. [18th May, 1986]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:
Annotations
Modifications (not altering text):
C1
The history of the functions vested in the Taoiseach under this Act can be traced as follows:
• Functions (other than those under ss. 1(3), 8(4), 8(10)(b), 8(11) and 11) vested in the Taoiseach by or under this Act transferred and references to the Taoiseach construed as Gaeltacht (20.01.1993) by Arts and Culture (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1993 (S.I. No. 21 of 1993), arts. 2-4, 7-9, subject to transitional provisions in arts. 5-6;
• Title of Minister for the Gaeltacht altered (20.01.1993) to Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht by Gaeltacht (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 1993 (S.I. No. 22 of 1993), arts. 1(2), 3;
• Title of Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht altered to Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (12.07.1997) by Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 1997 (S.I. No. 306 of 1997), arts. 1(2), 3;
• Functions (same as above, i.e. other than those under ss. 1(3), 8(4), 8(10)(b), 8(11) and 11) transferred and references to Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands construed as Tourism, Sport and Recreation (18.06.2002) by Arts and Culture (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2002 (S.I. No. 302 of 2002), arts. 2-4, subject to transitional provisions in arts. 5-9;
• Title of Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation altered to Arts, Sport and Tourism (19.06.2002) by Tourism, Sport and Recreation (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2002 (S.I. No. 309 of 2002), arts. 1(2), 3;
• Title of Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism altered (2.05.2010) to Tourism, Culture and Sport by Arts, Sport and Tourism (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2010 (S.I. No. 178 of 2010), art. 1(2), 3;
• Title of Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport altered (2.06.2011) to Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht by Tourism, Culture and Sport (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 220 of 2011), arts. 1(2), 3;
• Title of Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht altered to Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (7.07.2016) by Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 357 of 2016), art. 1(2) and 3;
• Title of Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs altered to Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (1.08.2017) by Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 350 of 2017), arts. 1(2), 3;
• Title of Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht altered to Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (30.09.2020) by Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 403 of 2020), arts. 1(2), 3;
• Title of Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media altered to Culture, Communications and Sport (2.06.2025) by Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2025 (S.I. No. 236 of 2025), arts. 1(2), 3.