Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

He should visit. There is a beautiful little village in north Leitrim called Kiltyclogher, just outside which Seán Mac Diarmada was born. His original cottage is still there and is being very well maintained by the Office of Public Works. For over 40 years, a commemoration has been run on the Sunday nearest 12 May to reflect on Seán Mac Diarmada's execution and ideals and on how Ireland today matches with the ideals of Seán Mac Diarmada and his comrades. The commemoration is attended by all, including Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Sinn Féin, people of no party persuasion and the community. People travel from far and wide to attend the commemoration. There is a small active committee which has organised the commemoration every year for 40 years and not one cent was ever sought or received from the State to run it.

The problem is in the words of the Minister of State - 2016 is being regarded as a once in a lifetime opportunity. Remembering 1916, its heroes and their ideas should not be a once in a lifetime matter. Every year, we should reflect on those who founded our nation and sought to bring about a free, independent Ireland. That day, year and quest for freedom does not belong to Sinn Féin alone. Of course, it does not. It is in the heart of every Irish man and woman. To relegate this to one year or one week of fanfare, colour, money and shiny buttons is not good enough. It is not about a once in a lifetime opportunity. There is a gulf of understanding between the legislation before the House and the mind of Government. The legislation is very simple. It proposes that 1916 should be commemorated not only in 2016 but in every year.

The Minister of State said in his reply that no thought had been given to what this would cost. He said there was no discussion as to the cost of such an additional annual holiday. Is this it? Spend plenty of money in one year, get the headlines, blow the trumpets, fly the flags and banners but only for one year because it might be wrong if the people began to question the extent to which the ideals of the freedom fighters of 1916 are met in modern Ireland. Run it for one year, take control of it, put money into it, wrap it up in a nice little parcel and close it afterwards.

I am disappointed with the Government's response. It could have left this suggestion open for further scrutiny, but it will not do so. It intends that 2016 will commemorate 1916 and let that be the end of the matter so that, when the flags in schools become faded, people will forget. Do not encourage people to search for the idealism of 1916 because they might be disappointed by the lack of idealism in 2016. Put it in a box, put a shiny ribbon on it, tie it up and sin é.

I do not know how these Private Members' Bills work because I have not been a Deputy for long enough and protocol is not one of my strongest suits, but if there is any way for the Government to change its response to what is simple legislation and not a party political Bill, which is what the Minister of State seems to be saying, will it please do so? Will it please say that the next Government or Dáil or a committee in the next Dáil will examine the matter? Do not just say that the Government is doing a good job in 2016 and that we in Sinn Féin are naughty for doing our own thing, something that we should not be doing. Of course we will do our own thing, but we will actively participate in all of the national commemorations. I will be there on the Sunday closest to 12 May in beautiful Kiltyclogher for our annual commemoration, which has been running for more than 40 years, and so will hundreds of others from all parties and none. That commemoration will continue. The organising committee will not stand aside and do nothing just because the Government will organise a series of events as part of a national commemoration in 2016. The committee will continue doing what it has done for more than 40 years, namely, honour the memory of those who died for Irish freedom, learn from their idealism and promote that idealism in the Ireland of today. It does it every year. The Government should accept this Bill and hold a commemoration every year.

Following on from the small, simple commemoration in Kiltyclogher and with the assistance of Leitrim County Council, Maynooth University and the many good people of the Kiltyclogher Community Council, we run an excellent and thriving summer school that examines Irish history. This is the type of activity that is required. The Government needs to understand that. This should be more than a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It should be constant and a part of who we are.

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