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

Planning is well underway with all stakeholders, including members of the public and local authorities, for next year’s 2016 commemorations. A widespread public consultation process has been underway for a number of months in order to encourage and facilitate the involvement of both national and local, ground-up, initiatives in the wider Ireland 2016 commemorative programme.

The community participation strand of the programme is being led by local authorities across the country. Each local authority has appointed a steering committee and a dedicated Ireland 2016 centenary programme co-ordinator to support engagement and facilitation within local communities. The purpose is to generate awareness of the national programme and to develop and deliver a plan for a suitable programme of events and initiatives to take place at a county level, in line with the national plan for Ireland 2016.

A series of public meetings in each county has been taking place to facilitate this. I think we are at No. 77 at this stage. Meetings have also taken place with other key Departments, agencies and interested parties. My Department's Ireland 2016 project office is engaging with bodies such as the national cultural institutions, the Arts Council and the Heritage Council to ensure that a comprehensive and diverse programme for 2016 is developed.

My Department is also engaging actively with representatives of the various relatives' groups, as well as with individual relatives, to hear their views on the overall programme and to ensure that they will have a central role in a number of the key State events.

I am conscious that many of the events of 1916 took place in Dublin, but I did not want the 2016 commemorations to be Dublin-centred. That is why we are so appreciative of the engagement we are having with local authorities which have partnered with us in a positive and constructive way. I am very happy about that.

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