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Updated at 7pm
VIDEO FOOTAGE OF debates from Leinster House prior to 2014 have been reuploaded to the Oireachtas website after being removed.
The footage of Dáil debates, spanning from 1990 to 2014 and which were previously accessible online, were removed from the internet. If someone wanted to access the footage – which is often used by journalists, researchers and academics – they would have had to submit a request to access the footage.
But after anger from both politicians and journalists, the videos were reuploaded and will remain on the government site for the time being.
The change in the archives was first highlighted in The Irish Daily Mail this weekend by journalist and DIT lecturer Ken Foxe, who said the footage was “particularly popular on social media in catching out politicians making U-turns”.
He said the first formal request for footage has already taken a week to process:
So, why was it removed?
A spokesperson for the Houses of the Oireachtas said the affected files date back 10 years and “in no conceivable way could be deemed to have covered the entire proceedings of the Houses and committees”.
However, the archive did include key moments in Irish political history, such as when Taoiseach Enda Kenny blasted the Vatican following the Cloyne report in 2011.
And Leo Varadkar’s first speech in the Dáil in 2007.
The spokesperson clarified that the files which were removed all relate to 2014 and earlier. The reason for their removal is apparently due to the format in which they were recorded.
“These files were only recorded in WMV format. As you may know, WMV is a proprietary Microsoft file format which is now obsolete. Many of our users could not access/play these files and we were increasingly being contacted by users who were having difficulty playing the files,” a spokesperson explained.
We switched over exclusively to recording mp4 files in 2015 and stopped recording WMV files at that time. Switching to the more versatile mp4 file format for our video has ensured that the majority of users can view our videos without difficulty.
“We did leave the older files online, but the recent change you refer to has been triggered as our service provider decommissioned the infrastructure on which these files were hosted.”
Another reason cited for their removal from the Oireachtas website is that their “web analytics showed that there was minimal traffic going to video files older than the last month or so”.
How would you access the files if the footage was removed?
The Houses of the Oireachtas said that when the video footage wasn’t accessible online, the official report of Dáil debates remained – namely, the transcripts of what was said.
If you want to see the live action of a debate before 2014, you would have had to submit a request for the footage and the Houses of the Oireachtas Broadcasting Unit can facilitate access to the older files.
“Anyone looking for video/audio records can request these from our Broadcasting Unit. These only go back as far as 1990 as that is when televising of the proceedings commenced, however some media organisations may have footage/audio from before then,” said the spokesperson, adding that the official report or transcript going back to 1919 will soon be available to the public.
“I think this illustrates our commitment to transparency and e-democracy.”
Who made the decision?
Since Foxe reported that access was now only available by request, a number of politicians and journalists have inquired about the decision-making process, particularly focussing on whether elected members of the House were notified or debated the change.
TheJournal.ie asked the Houses of the Oireachtas if there was any discussion with those in government and who made the final decision on the matter.
“The development of our new website is a matter for the Houses of the Oireachtas and not government,” said the spokesperson.
Fianna Fáil Communications spokesman TD Timmy Dooley told TheJournal.ie today that the removing the public’s access to the footage made “no sense”, particularly at a time when most organisations are making a concerted effort to digitise their data and make it easily accessible.
“I think to ensure that our parliament is transparent, open and accountable it is important as far as is possible, that proceedings of the House is made available to the public in an archived fashion to the greatest extent possible,” he said.
Information that was held online should remain online. I know it may be difficult to digitise older information, but what was available online should continue to be accessible for the purposes of journalists.
- With reporting from Gráinne Ní Aodha
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These depraved people traffickers know full well that no EU nation will allow a ship carrying hundreds of migrants crash onto rocks drowning and injuring hundreds of people….set the course and let it go. These traffickers should be shot on sight….
They must be brought to justice but once you put them down other dogs will happily step forward to fill the void. People are desperate and will continue to venture on such dangerous journeys until the motives driving them to go are addressed.
Of course they should not be allowed to crash onto rocks, but at the same allowing every one of these ghost ships to disembark it’s passengers in the EU, just compounds the problem and only encourages the smugglers. They should be intercepted and towed back to wherever they came from.
Because they know that the EU is a soft touch and that we want to commit cultural suicide.
Because they are desperate for some sort of life that everyone needs. Look on it as foreign aid for the less well off.
Well they should not mess up there own country, we don’t want there wars on our streets like in Hamburg a few weeks ago between Sunnis and Kurds.
How is it foreign aid if they end up living here and attaching themselves to European social welfare? These people are illegal trespassers and need to be treated as such. Those behind the trafficking need to be ruthlessly hunted down and arrested.
The days of Europe allowing in everyone and anyone with a sob story needs to be put to bed. We are not a global soup kitchen.
Cultural suicide?
Sounds very brehvik to me…
Yes, cultural suicide. They don’t just give up their own culture, customs and religious beliefs once they enter Europe, you know? The question is, is their culture, customs and religous beliefs compatible with ours?
Careful now Jay, your thin veil of prejudice is slipping
I think the culture in third world countries is greatly inferior to that of ours here in Western Europe.
Sue me.
Yes – what with all our wars, theft of language and religious suppression – we’re just so much better here in good old Europe.
Stunning.
Europe has been at peace for over half a century, is pretty secular and theft of languages? You’re speaking English.
We have over 20 million people unemployed in Europe. A lot of them are non EU immigrants as is(Souce: http://www.euractiv.com/sections/social-europe-jobs/non-eu-citizens-twice-likely-be-unemployed-303834).
Where will these people work? Its not like we have a shortage of unskilled labour. Where will live? Will they need healthcare? Education? Language lessons? Welfare? Who shall pay for it all?
We are not running a global soup kitchen here.
Ok Jay ok….. I’ve had a look through the other comments you’ve made on here and it’s obvious that you are not anti-immigration. You’re quite simply anti everyone else.
There’s no talking to people who have decided that everything is wrong with any given issue.
He raises valid points though Tony, who will cater to these individuals and their needs in Europe and who will pay for it? Futhermore what of the countless millions that will follow them, where are they to go?
Care to deal with the points that I made? Stop bringing up Breivik and trying to smear me. You wouldn’t have the balls to do that to my face, so don’t do it online. Deal with the topic at hand.
Searching through my posts. You’re an odd character.
I agree there are serious issues with migration, but the simplicity of “send them back” as a solution? That just doesn’t work.
These days a lot of these boats are filled with Syria refugees. To even call them migrants is inaccurate.
What doesn’t sit well about it all is a whole mess of double standards. Tens of thousands of Syrian people dead, tons of illegal irish in America yet we still talk of send them back?
Immigration as a lot of challenges and I can’t say I know what the solutions are, but it’s not to create resentment between nations.
I made the point that e made a similar claim. I would make the same point to your face, nothing to do with balls.
I’ve no wish to get into flaming, I just don’t see any reasonable solution being offered.
If “send them back” is your only offering then you’ve as much to offer as me in terms of solutions. Immigration is a fact, and wasn’t an issue during the boom.
What country did you live in during the boom? It was a huge issue. As for solutions. How about this. An immigration policy that benefits the country and natives, not only the immigrants. An immigration policy that prioritises skilled migrants and entrepreneurs, but also keeps out the unskilled, uneducated or those that came for the mooch. All “language schools” closed. Those that undertook sham marriages for residency to be deported along with failed asylum seekers. Instead of dishing out citizenship like confetti at them.
How’s about that for starters?
I lived in a country that BENEFITTED from migrants during the boom (this one).
Very little of your suggestions address people who are fleeing places where there have been thousands of deaths. Personally, I think you’re right with closing loopholes; I don’t think anyone should have to pay for those who’s only intention is to take advantage.
Maybe you should have started with that rather than agreeing with “cultural suicide”.
I’ll send 3 of them over to your gaff later, Tony. Assume you’ll be cool with it.
A homeless man died only a few meters from our national parliament. The problem of homelessness is growing by the day.
The Knights of Columbanus, who dish out Christmas lunches every year to the needy, said the numbers coming to them has doubled in the last three years.
We have enough deprived people of our own to cope with than to import even more
We spent €635 million on foreign aid last year. How much of that could have been used to alleviate the homeless situation at home?
This was always bound to occur with foreign leaders and governments being toppled on Europe’s doorstep.
Its a tragic situation which will undoubtedly warrant multiple tactics and answers to remedy but a zero tolerance policy surely must be adopted similar to that which Australia has succesfully used to stem the flow and reduce drownings. When boats are being towed back to their port of origin these desperate souls and the others waiting will realize its a pointless endeavour, thus removing the carrot the traffickers are only too delighted to dangle in front of them. Otherwise where do you draw the line? At what point should Europe stop accepting responsibility and demand the Islamic countries of the region like Iran, Qatar, SA do their part?
The UN and EU should also be establishing safe areas with the essentials and the things they desiee (security, housing, schools, hospitals etc) in the countries where these migrants originate to lessen the temptation to travel.
The mega rich Gulf nations have barely taken any refugees from a conflict they’ve done so much to fuel and prolong. It’s a disgrace.
It looks good for TDs and MPS and euro minsters to take them in but how many are they taking into there posh areas they dump them on working and middle class areas and then forget about them and who pays for this joe public as always.
Couldnt agree more. Id love to see Aodhain O R take in the Roma and Asylum seekers he has such a fetish for and put them in housing right next to his own. Unfortunately that will never happen. The government like to take these people in to look good, and then they f*ck them out to the working class suburbs far away from their cosy D4 houses next to the HQ of their propaganda station RTE.
Meanwhile in “working class land”, the local Spar have employment contracts with agencies in India, the local Lidl have employment contracts with agencies in Eastern Europe. The school places are set to prioritise “diverse” children. The local housing is set to prioritise “diverse” families. (just look at the story a few weeks ago on the journal where Irish families were being evicted to essentially make way for immigrant families)
Vice did a good documentary about these boats landing in Lampedusa.
Did they mention Dapper Laughs in the documentary? They love to remind us about how much they hate him in nearly everything they publish lately.
The elite and bankers want us all to be drowned in debt (the way we are right now) and living in poverty. It’s working. Wake up sheep. Heck the Chinese believe this is the year of the sheep.
Year of the goat
Sink it at sea…
174,000 make it to Italy, a couple of thousand die. 95+% success rate, don’t expect people to stop coming for a while!! Money well spent really…
Man the torpedos!
Extreme right and ill informed comments here are the majority thus far. Worrying, especially for a nation who largely enjoy free movement.
have your say