Comments on: Criticism of Genealogy Service Fees

By: Michael Flynn

Michael Flynn — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:58:43 +0000

I have tried searching for individuals who I know to be listed on the records of a parish which the IFHF lists as being available online. Out of four individuals I only found one in their database.

By: C. Graham

C. Graham — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:16:20 +0000

I am very glad to have these records available but do think the fees extremely high for information received. In looking for marriage information I was able to find the correct marriage along with the exact date and place…but.. absolutely no other information… no mention of parents names or anything else.

By: barry

barry — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:56:11 +0000

I am horrified at the charges. As someone who has tried in vain to get access to some data, in particular in Co Clare and Co Kilkenny and who has spent hours peering at poor images in the National Library to be asked to pay anything at all for access to the database is disgusting. I did ask the Foundation what was the overlap with the Townsend St service, where you have to fill in a paper form to get data which is computerised. This was the answer….

“No we do not duplicate what is done by the GRO. The GRO holds civil records of births, deaths and marriages from 1864 onwards; 1845 for C of I marriages.

Our database is comprised mainly of church records, the bulk of these are Catholic. These records were only previously available via county genealogy centres on a commissioned research basis; by visiting local parishes and having a manual search done or by searching the microfilmed copies of the parish registers in the National Library and Archives…..”

So they do duplicate material in the NL, and there fore in the public domain.

By: Tom Johnston

Tom Johnston — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:05:58 +0000

Re. IFHF charges.

Under what legal basis do the county family history centres function? Are they now private registered companies, charities, or educational establishments? Does the government still have any control over them?

It seems that they were originally funded by the taxpayer to transcribe and digitise local records in each county. They were then allowed (officially or unofficially) to use these records to carry out paid genealogical research. Some of this research was excellent, but there have been justified complaints lodged in some cases.

The resulting searchable databases are being put on line. Was this sanctioned by governmant ?

Now the charges!

The state-funded databases should have been handed over to the state when they were completed. The National Archives could have then made them available in the same way as they are making the two surviving censuses. When the state pays a contractor to build a bridge, does the contractor then own the bridge?

10 euro a shot can mount up to a lot of money if you are researching families with common surnames. The search only tells you a year and county (or half county) — certainly no townland. A search can easily turn up 20 records and it will cost 200 euro to check them all out. The civil registry search facility in the Irish Life Centre charges 2 euro for a five-year search and 4 euro for a photocopy of the register. (The photocopy charge jumped from 2 to 4 euro overnight - 100%) On this basis, and considering that the whole on-line process is virtually automatic, 10 euro is certainly excessive. IFHF would make more by charging less. However their legal right to charge anything at all should be scrutinised.