Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I acknowledge that local authorities continue to fund groups throughout the country and community groups are enthusiastic and keen to ensure that their commemorations are marked locally. We are right in the middle of 2018 at this point and there are a great many significant commemorations for this year alone, including votes for women, the 1918 general election, the ending of the war and, most significantly, I feel, at the Mouth of the Glen between Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh and Ré na nDoirí. I refer to the first ambush of the War of Independence, where local volunteers engaged with the RIC in July 1918. That engagement is being marked locally.

The Minister would have known the timeline and that a review has been under way for almost a year. Why has the review taken so long and is it going to be brought to a conclusion quickly? Communities would like the review to be concluded and for direction to be provided to them in addition to an opportunity to apply for funding and also that the various criteria would be outlined. The review is under way for the best part of a year at this point, in the middle of what would have been a set timeframe, and should be brought to a conclusion soon. Does the Minister have a date for the conclusion of the review? Is she aware that the national commemoration for July almost clashes with the Mouth of the Glen commemoration in the same month?

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