Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I am sure the organisation has centenary events arranged for the course of the year and I am not aware that there have been suggestions of insufficient support from Government where appropriate. That is all I can say about that at present.

On the matter raised by Deputy Higgins, I agree it is not a question of simply commemorating the events themselves in a suitable political context. There was a strong social aspect to all of this and there is a need to use commemoration as an opportunity to enhance Irish social history and labour history. These events are opportunities to emphasise those aspects as well as the political aspects. I have no difficulty with that. Often I have felt it is important that people understand the social origins of the revolution as well as its political outcome.

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