Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

A commemoration will again be held this Easter Sunday at the GPO to mark the anniversary of the Easter Rising of 1916. Following discussions at the all-party Oireachtas committee it has been decided that the format of this year's commemoration will be a military ceremony centred on the GPO with appropriate military honours rendered. There will not be a parade along the lines of the 2006 ceremony. However, there will be a reading of the proclamation and a flag-raising ceremony similar to what happened in last year's successful ceremony.

The exact details of the ceremony are being finalised at present by an interdepartmental committee involving my Department, the Defence Forces, the Department of the Taoiseach and all other relevant Departments and agencies. Therefore, I am not in a position to comment further on the details of the organisation.

See this speech in context