Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has been charged with co-ordinating the Government's approach to commemorating the many notable historic events within the decade of centenaries from 2012 to 2022. The general Government approach is one that seeks to promote tolerance, respect and inclusiveness and that recognises the all-island and east-west shared past nature of the decade.

The role of the Office of Public Works, OPW, is to support the various Government initiatives and events being held on State property managed by the OPW to commemorate particular historic occasions such as at the Garden of Remembrance, for example. That is similar to the role it has performed most successfully recently for the visits of Queen Elizabeth II and President Obama and Ireland's hosting of the EU Presidency. The OPW provides logistical, organisational and managerial input, as required and requested by various Departments involved in the national commemorations.

The OPW is also involved in the management of specific projects relating to and linked with the commemoration of 1916. Two notable examples are the redevelopment of Kilmainham Gaol through the acquisition of the adjacent former Kilmainham courthouse which will facilitate the anticipated increased volume of visitors to the gaol as the events surrounding the Rising of 1916 are commemorated and the major refurbishment of the National Gallery of Ireland. Both projects are scheduled for completion by the end of 2015, in time for the centenary commemoration of the Rising in 2016.

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