Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. The plan launched last November was an overarching plan and it was not rushed, as the Government wished to allow people to engage with it. It was a high-level plan and has been highly successful in respect of the level of engagement experienced thus far. It was necessary to start with something, and while there was a lot of talk about it, I am glad about that because it means people are engaging. When people are talking about something, they are engaging, and as I stated earlier, the Department has had great engagement with local authorities. Moreover, many different groups have approached the Department and have made suggestions. This engagement process does not stop here; it will continue, because the main commemoration event will not take place until Easter Sunday 2016, which of course will be the big State occasion. In fairness, there was a lot more to the night of the launch than the video, and many other items were not picked up on. The Deputy can rest assured that the Proclamation is at the centre of the Government's commemorations. We will commemorate and remember the signatories and all those who lost their lives in 1916.

See this speech in context