Deputy James Lawless, who is the driving force behind the proposed Bill, points out that many other countries already have legislation in place aimed at capturing the content on their country’s web domain.
An amendment he is proposing to the Bill will require that the Government reports back within 12 months on the feasibility of a digital lead deposit scheme to serve as a web archive.
20 of the 28 member states of the European Union already have such digital deposit schemes in place.
“Unfortunately Ireland is falling far behind our counterparts when it comes to protecting our digital heritage. The Bill I have brought forward aims to address this,” he said.
“The impact of the Internet will be as significant on the course of history as the invention of the printing press. Societies have long sought to protect and archive printed works so that they can be enjoyed and studied by future generations.
“For centuries, archives, libraries and museums have safeguarded our national and cultural heritage. It’s important that they are empowered to continue with this tradition in the digital age.
“The Government needs to recognise the importance of our digital heritage and take steps to extend legal deposit to online digital formats.
“ Despite popular opinion, content on the internet does not stay online forever. It is generally accepted that the average life of a web-page is less than 100 days. It’s important that we setup structures now to capture our digital heritage for future generations to study and enjoy,” concluded Deputy Lawless