Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

-----unless the soon to be former Labour Party leader and former Tánaiste, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, scuppers Phil's party and ends up in the European Commission and Deputy Phil Hogan remains as Minister, to come into the House in the next two weeks to discuss the Government's position on local government subventions. Be it the current Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, or whoever else, there will be ample time prior to the summer recess for whoever is the Minister to come into the House and answer questions for us.
I wish to make one further point. We have discussed the very important centenaries to be marked in the next few years, one of which is the centenary of the start of the First World War. As we all know, in 2016 we will mark the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising. I ask that well in advance of that centenary we have a proper debate which I would invite the former Taoiseach, Mr. John Bruton, to attend. I was somewhat dismayed but, unfortunately, not surprised by his comments at the Irish Embassy in London yesterday where he said:

...Padraig Pearse rejoiced in violence. He rejoiced in the prospect of unionists arming. I think he was wrong about that. He was a romantic.

I know the former Taoiseach's background. He professed himself to be a Redmondite, which is fine, but, interestingly, in his remarks yesterday interestingly - I would like to question him about this - he made no criticism of his hero John Redmond who sent tens of thousands of Irish people to fight for the British Empire in Europe in the First World War. These comments by a former Taoiseach carry a lot of weight - excuse the pun in that regard.