Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I note the Minister's comments in regard to the spending of €6 million. Is there a specific website in regard to all the upcoming events? Are any more discussion fora planned, such as the forum recently held by the UCC history school, at which one of Prime Minister Cameron's directors of the commemoration spoke?

Is there any concern in Government that the emphasis should be on events linking the two parts of this island with Scotland, Wales and the English regions, and with smaller countries generally which suffered grievously in this senseless and crazy slaughter, such as, for example, Serbia, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria and other countries which were dragged into this holocaust through the gangster capitalist leadership of the big powers in the run-in to 1914? Does the Minister have concerns that, because of recent statements of the British Prime Minister, the Irish Government could be dragged into military commemorations which attempt to justify the militarism and gangsterism that produced the First World War? I note the Taoiseach has been in Ypres and commemorations are also planned for Mons and other battle sites.

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