The wait goes on...
Hi everyone. I know it's been an age since I've updated you all. Between having a young child, elderly parents who are ill and a busy job it's difficult to maintain any consistency or momentum on research and writing, but be assured I'm working away on Curious Beast and have met some really interesting people who are happy to share their experiences.
You probably remember that I posted earlier in the year about my travails around accessing information held in PRONI going back to 2014. Today I emailed the office to ask for updates on a number of court and inquest files I requested back in 2021.
In the scheme of things, three and a half years isn't that long - or at least that's what we have been conditioned to regard as reasonable; but in isolation it's a stark and distressing indictment of a system that isn't working. Again, I'm reluctant to place the blame at the feet of anyone in PRONI, but something has to change.
I can't imagine I'll get anything other than the stock response that there are limited resources, impact of COVID and a massive backlog of requests…but these requests need to be satisfied! When I do get access to the files I have requested it will add huge value to another project I have had to put on the back burner due to the bureaucratic delays I a d others have encountered.
As for the internee files I requested almost 11 years ago…well, I may get those (or at least what's left in them after the censors have scraped through them) in time for retirement…
