Essay
The Official Report is the written record of everything that is said in public sittings of the Houses of the Oireachtas and their parliamentary committees.
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Essay
Since 1922, the Official Report produced by the Debates Office has been the work of parliamentary reporters, editors, administrative staff and, in earlier times, audio typists who took dictation from the reporters.
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Essay
As well as telling us about important political decisions and changes in the law, the historical debates can help us learn about how people in Ireland saw themselves and one another in the past.
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Essay
The expansion of parliamentary reporting in Ireland – up to the abolition of the Irish Parliament in 1800 – was mirrored in England, where throughout the 19th century the Hansard tradition of reporting evolved.
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Essay
Although real-time official reports of proceedings of the First Dáil did not become the norm during its lifetime, its Members and officials were keenly aware of the importance of publicising its work and of emphasising its legitimacy at home and abroad.
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