Part 4: Memorialising the Troubles Section 49: Oral history
This section makes provision for an oral history initiative relating to the Troubles, taking forward measures proposed in the Stormont House Agreement.
	Subsection (1) requires relevant persons designated by the Secretary of State under section 56 section (the "designated persons") to, within one year (beginning with a date specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 56), secure the carrying out of study of existing Troubles-related oral history collections in Northern Ireland. The designated persons are required to secure the creation, collection and preservation of Troubles-related oral history records, especially those relating to groups or communities that have been found to be historically under-represented in that study. Subsection (1) also requires the designated persons to secure that public engagement with Troubles-related oral history records is encouraged and facilitated, including by making such records more publicly accessible. They must also secure that a catalogue of such publicly accessible records is available online.
	Subsection (2) requires the designated persons, in complying with subsection (1), to secure that appropriate assistance is provided to existing organisations engaged in creating, collecting or preserving Troubles-related oral history records.
	Subsection (3) states that, when complying with subsection (1)(c), the designated persons must secure the arrangement of events and services - for example, public exhibitions.
	Subsection (4) states that the designated persons may, when carrying out the functions under subsection (1) in relation to oral history records, carry out those functions in relation to events which took place both before and after the period of the Troubles - for example, in order to include the oral histories of children discussing their experiences after the Troubles had ended.
	Subsection (5) states that, for the purposes of this section, a group or community in Northern Ireland is under-represented’ in current collections if the oral history records in current collections do not appropriately reflect the prevalence of that group or community in Northern Ireland society during the period of the Troubles.
	Subsection (6) defines terms used in this section, including "current collection"; "oral history record about events and conduct before or after the period of the Troubles"; "Troubles-related oral history record"; and "publicly accessible".
	Subsection (7) provides that, for the purposes of the work set out in this section, oral history records can include those contributed by a person in the UK, Ireland or elsewhere.