Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The period will be 2012 to 2022. I thank Deputy Martin for his comments. What we want is a dignified commemoration that is inclusive and covers all of the issues that should be commemorated. As I stated in my reply, local, regional and national events will be covered. I also accept that the Defence Forces, which have been important to the history of our country, should be centrally involved. They bring a particular resonance and importance to all of the occasions in which they participate. This will obviously continue.

The consultation group that the Minister, Deputy Deenihan, chairs is a consultation group with the Government, and all the parties and Independents are reflected there. We want to expand that because the citizens will want an opportunity to send in their views about what issues or events and so on should be commemorated in this decade.

I would also like to involve a group of professional historians who would be able to deliberate and put forward a view on the accuracy and the authenticity of matters that should be considered by Government for inclusion in the programme, which will be debated and discussed with all of the parties here to ensure that we arrive at a situation where we have a dignified sequential series of commemorative events and occasions over that period.

I want the leaders of the other parties to understand that this is not to be considered in any way to be under the sole ownership of any party. This is about our country's history and our military history of days gone by when people had very polarised views about politics. It is a case of getting as inclusive, dignified and appropriate a sequential series of commemorative occasions as possible.

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