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Duties of a Consenting Officer

What is a Consenting Officer?

• A Consenting Officer is an individual appointed under the National Archives Act, 1986, Regulations, 1988 3(3).
• At least one Consenting Officer must be appointed.
• A Consenting Officer must be an officer of the Department of the Taoiseach of at least Principal Officer grade.

What are their responsibilities?

• The Consenting Officer is responsible for approval or refusal of applications by Certifying Officers in Departments of State and public bodies for the withholding of records, in accordance with the National Archives Act, 1986, 8(2), 8(4), Regulations 1988 6, 7.
• The Consenting Officer is responsible for ensuring that requests for certificates made under Section 8(4), relating to the withholding of records on the grounds specified in the Act, are accompanied with a schedule of the records, or record series as required by Regulation 7(1), 7(2).
• If the Consenting Officer is not satisfied that the retention and/or withholding of a record or series of records is justified, the record will have to be transferred to the National Archives and made available for public inspection.

How is a Consenting Officer appointed?

• A Consenting Officer is appointed by the Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach.
• A letter on official headed paper must be signed by the Secretary General and sent to the Director of the National Archives with details of the name of the individual, their grade and contact details.
• A template letter to appoint a Consenting Officer is available here.

Approval or refusal of applications for retention and disposal should be made on the forms available in the appendices to the National Archives Act, 1986, Regulations, 1988.

The Director of the National Archives should be notified of any changes in personnel and contact details of the Consenting Officer(s).