Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

On the contrary, a considerable amount of work has been ongoing during the past year on the significance and importance of the commemoration of the 1916 Rising and how it should be addressed. I imagine the Deputy is aware that there has been a great deal of consultation with a committee of Deputies, as well as wide consultation with all Departments, on this significant anniversary and the events that led to the foundation of the Republic. It is an important date in our history. The sub-committee to which the Deputy referred is under the chairpersonship of the Taoiseach, not the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys. I attended the meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee and there was input by me and a significant number of other Ministers. Of course, detailed information was provided by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. It is our intention to ensure the widest possible participation by all citizens of the Republic to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising. We intend to do so in a way that looks to and celebrates our past, as well as looking forward to the future, and in a way that will involve the men, women and, in particular, children of the country.

The Government has made its position clear on the question on referendums. The citizens of the State will have an opportunity to vote in two referendums this year, one on marriage equality and the other on the age of qualification to stand for election as President of Ireland. That is what the Government has proposed. It deals regularly with the reports of the Constitutional Convention, but our proposal is to hold these two referendums.

See this speech in context