Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

Molaim An Bille um Laethanta Saoire Poiblí (Lá na Poblachta) 2013. Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leo siúd ar fad a chuidigh liom an Bille seo a chur le chéile agus a smaoinigh an coincheap seo a bhogadh ar aghaidh go dtí an Bille atá os ár gcomhair inniu. Tharla sé seo thar roinnt blianta. Ar eagla go mbeadh aon míthuiscint ann, deirim lom amach nach gcreidim go bhfuil saoirse an náisiúin ársa seo bainte amach go fóill. Ach ní cóir go gcuirfeadh sin bac orainn ar fad, fiú más as traidisiúin polaitiúla difriúla muid, ceiliúradh cuí a dhéanamh ar chrógacht iad siúd a chuaigh sa bhearna baoil ag strachailt chun na Poblachta forásaí seo a bhunú, go háirithe iad siúd a d'fhógair an phoblacht, an tseachtain chinniúnach sin i 1916.

Níl i gceist agam go mbeadh ach Lá na Poblachta amháin ann. An coincheap atá sa Bhille seo ná go mbeadh lá saoire breise ann gach bliain as seo amach, chun an t-éacht, an chrógacht agus an fhís a bhain le hÉirí Amach na Cásca 1916 a cheiliúradh in imeachtaí cultúrtha agus oideachasúil in achan contae sa tír - is é sin sna 32 contae seachas na 26 contae amháin.

The purpose of the Bill is to have a new national holiday designated in law as Lá na Poblachta on 24 April annually. The second, but probably more important, aspect, is to establish a bord Lá na Poblachta to organise events in commemoration and appreciation of the contribution to the Irish nation over the centuries by many who gave their lives and liberties in pursuit of the Irish nation to free it from the occupation of a foreign power. As part of its role, the board would raise awareness, encourage an understanding of, and create a discourse around the ideals contained in the key revolutionary documents of Irish republicanism, and of the events leading up to the declaration of the Irish Republic contained in the Proclamation of Easter week 1916, which Pádraig Mac Piarais read at the front of the GPO on 24 April 1916.

In recognition of the central role played by the Proclamation in encapsulating the ideals of Irish republicanism, a programme of cultural and educational events should be held in each county for both citizens and tourists. I foresee many events being organised among our nation's citizens and supporters abroad. I have already seen much enthusiasm, for example at the recent re-enactment of the funeral of Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa, book launches and talks about 1916. There is nearly an insatiable demand among the Irish public for more information and events around the seminal event of Irish history.

Many nations have a day or event in their history which, for the present day citizens, captures the spirit of the nation. In the many episodes of bravery, foresight and selflessness in Irish history, the 1916 Rising stands out and is, therefore, the appropriate day to celebrate and commemorate as Ireland's national day. In the Bill, I have laid out the new public holiday, Lá na Poblachta, as a national day. It would fall annually on 24 April, the day on which the Irish Republic was declared. The Bill deals with practical issues such as what would happen if it falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, and I have also ensured it has the full meaning for workers of a public holiday as per the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. In setting out the functions of the board, I have set out how it would be funded, via ciste Lá na Poblachta, the rules governing its appointment, meetings, terms and conditions, duties and responsibilities and even the discipline. This is not a single issue Bill.

The Government has shot down the proposal, despite the fact that when I raised it, in February 2013, at the all-party decade of commemorations committee meetings, I received the backing of the Government's commemorations advisers, albeit for a single year's public holiday next year. The Government is turning its back on an opportunity. Neither the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys, her predecessor with responsibility for commemorative events, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, nor the Government has had the vision to embrace the idea. This is despite the fact that Ireland has nine public holidays, fewer than the European average of 11. In September 2014, the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys, said it was something to which she had not given a huge amount of consideration. It is probably the same attitude she and her Government had to Moore Street, reflected in her shambolic launch of the Government's 2016 centenary project at the GPO in November 2014. It could only get better. The public's rejection of the programme as not fitting forced the Minister and Government to rethink, call in the cavalry and look at and listen to the decade of commemorations committee, which had been in place for many years. More important, it forced them to listen to the hearts and voices of the people of the nation, who were demanding more appropriate commemorative events, not afterthoughts. Thankfully, the situation has moved on since that shambolic launch in November 2014. Regrettably, the Government is still obstructing ideas that are not its own.

That is why the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Alex White, faked outrage here yesterday when I raised his role in refusing to grant permission to Sinn Féin to use the frontage of the GPO for a light show spectacular next year. He misled the Dáil when he said that I make things up as I go along. Sinn Féin has been in contact with the OPW, An Garda Síochána, An Post and the Decade of Commemorations organisation seeking the required permissions to ensure that this event can happen. We also wrote to the Minister, having been told by Mr. George Moir, the OPW's director of heritage, that granting permission for the use of the GPO is in the gift of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. Who is making things up? Is it the Minister and his officials, or is it me? I am not making things up; I have set out the facts here. The Minister should apologise to the House next week.

It is interesting that it is a Minister of State from the Labour Party who was sent in today to bat for the Government, to be a mudguard once again. I remind the Minister of State, Deputy Ó Ríordáin, that the former leader of his party, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, when calling for an additional public holiday in September 2006, said:

Ireland continues to lag well behind European averages in terms of public holidays. With only nine statutory days off each year, the Government should move to introduce two additional public holidays to bring us in line with the EU average of 11. It is unfair that our workforce is expected to work longer hours than our European neighbours yet not be rewarded by employers with sufficient days off. The Government could help plug this gap by introducing these extra public holidays.

Here is the Labour Party's opportunity to take one step closer to reaching the European average at least, albeit not on a topic that Deputy Quinn would embrace. However, his forefathers and his relatives in Newry would have seen the appropriateness of recognising those who fought against the Empire in a fitting way.

Some might question the wisdom of marking independence day as a national day when a nation is still partitioned or when freedom has not been fully achieved. However, a national day is a designated day, usually a public holiday, in most states in which nationhood is celebrated. It can be on the date of independence or a date of significance from history. Some countries have more than one such day - Pakistan, I am told, has three. Catalonia celebrates its national day on 11 September, Euskadi on 25 October, Cyprus on 16 August and Palestine on 5 November - they all mark their national days, despite not having been granted their freedom or continuing to be occupied or partitioned. Canada's day is on 1 July and, interestingly, that came about as a consequence of the actions in north America of the forefathers of the men and women of 1916. Germany - which is hopefully suffering this morning, although not financially, regretfully, considering its attitude to our debts and banks - marks its reunification on 3 October with German Unity Day. Both the partitioned states of Korea mark Korea's liberation from imperialist Japan on 15 August and, of course, the USA celebrates its revolution on 4 July and France celebrates its revolution on 14 July, Bastille Day.

I urge the Minister of State not to be afraid of the concept behind and proposal contained within this legislation, which was carefully thought out and was not just a whim on my part. I urge him to embrace it in the full understanding of what I am trying to achieve with this Bill. It is not just about an additional holiday. Its aim is to ensure that the vision of the Proclamation is considered and lived up to as much as possible or is, at the very least, the ideal to which we aspire. There should not be a problem with that concept, and we should ensure that all of our citizens understand that. All of our citizens should engage in a discussion on a vision for the future of Ireland, as well as considering their responsibilities as citizens as envisaged by those who declared a republic on the streets of Dublin just over 99 years ago. A new public holiday dedicated to the memory of the selfless men and women who had the vision and courage of their convictions is what this Bill proposes. I believe it would be appropriate to declare Lá na Poblachta.

Mar fhocal scoir, iarraim go leanfaimid fís na bliana 1916, ó thaobh díospóireachta seachas go míleata, chun an Phoblacht a bhí i gceist sa bhliain sin a bhunú i gceart. Ba cheart go mbeadh sé mar aidhm againn - i ngach uile ghnó atá á dhéanamh againn sa Teach seo, san Oireachtas ina iomlán, sa Stát seo, sa tír agus sa náisiún uilig - oibriú le chéile leis an dúshlán sin a chomhlíonadh agus na haidhmeanna sin a shroichint. Is féidir linn bheith bródúil as na daoine a chuaigh romhainn, a bhí de dhánacht agus de chrógacht acu ina lán bealaí seasamh leis an bhfís atá luaite agam i gcoinne impireacht ollmhór a bhí ann ag an am. Creidim gur féidir é sin a dhéanamh, i measc bealaí eile, trí Lá na Poblachta agus bord Lá na Poblachta a bheith bunaithe as seo amach.

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