Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

During the lifetime of the 29th Dáil, an all-party Oireachtas consultation group was established for the official preparations for the re-instatement of the traditional military parade at Easter and the commemorative programme to be put in place in coming years for the centenary of the Easter Rising. The group met in November 2006 and March 2007.

I expect invitations will issue soon to all party leaders to once again nominate spokespersons to serve on a successor group during this Dáil. In addition to their consideration of the commemorative initiatives in 2006 and 2007, members of the previous consultation group were invited to consider making nominations to an expert working group that would provide specialist and academic advice on the historic events and the commemorative proposals. This matter was left in abeyance with the dissolution of the Dáil but it is hoped to resume this discussion following the formation of a new Oireachtas group.

Officials of my Department and officers of the Defence Forces are members of an interdepartmental committee, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach. This committee was originally tasked with the commemorative programme for the 90th anniversary of the Rising and the annual commemorations appropriate for the years until the centenary. The committee has not met since the completion of the commemoration and parade in April 2007. I envisage that the committee will soon commence the preparation and planning in respect of Easter 2008.

A number of long-term projects are currently being pursued as part of the centenary commemorations. The initiative to bring into the public domain the remaining military history archives of the Defence Forces is being progressed. My Department will shortly be placing an advertisement in the national press with regard to the recruitment of archival assistants for this project.

The conservation work on the Asgard is continuing at the National Museum Collins Barracks with a view to completion in 2009. I was particularly satisfied to note earlier this year the generous donation to the National Museum of the letter written to General Maxwell by Pádraig MacPiarais prior to his execution.

I thank the members of the Oireachtas consultation group for the work done to date on the commemorations and their consideration of the centenary programme.

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