Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I support what the Taoiseach and Deputy Adams said in regard to Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street. I would be very anxious to see something concrete and productive emerge from that.

I wish to ask about the 1916 centenary committee. Would the Taoiseach consider it useful if the membership was potentially broadened out or if, for example, a Northern input was facilitated, either from the Assembly or strands of opinion, to ensure the centenary is celebrated in an all-island context? As the Taoiseach said in regard to the sensitivity of the commemoration and so forth, there is a range of issues, from the Ulster Covenant to the Great War to other major events taking place over the next decade. It is important those commemorative opportunities become opportunities for fresh insights, perspectives and a deeper mutual understanding among people of different traditions on the island. Let us face it - people from a different tradition may not have the same perspective on 1916 as Members of this House. It is an opportunity for a comprehensive approach to commemoration.

I met previously with the Orange Order in regard to this and there is a willingness to engage in constructive dialogue towards the collective commemoration of different events of historical significance over the next decade which resonate back to conflict, history and so on. I am sure the Taoiseach would agree that the challenge is to do this in a way that can advance and add value to the kind of society we want to create on the island of Ireland.

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