Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A Cheann Comhairle, a Chathaoirligh an tSeanaid, a Bhaill an Oireachtais agus a dhaoine uaisle go léir, ba chinneadh suntasach réabhlóideach é, ó phobal ar theastaigh uathu greim a fháil ar a gcinniúint féin, an Chéad Dáil a thabhairt le chéile. Ba bhuaicphointe é i ndiaidh na mblianta fada den athbheochan cultúrtha agus polaitíochta. Ní obair in aisce gan aon tairbhe a bhí ann. Tharraing an cruinniú seo aird an domhain. Céim chun tosaigh a bhí sa chruinniú seo a thug spreagadh do mhórán eile dúshlán a thabhairt don chóras impireachta a raibh smacht aige ar a lán eile ar fud an domhain. Níos lú ná trí bliana roimhe sin, cuireadh tús nua láidir le saoirse agus neamhspleáchas a lorg ar shráideanna Bhaile Átha Cliath agus in áiteanna eile ar fud na tíre. Ba chuimhin le go leor dóibh siúd a bhailigh anseo 100 bliain ó shin na guthanna agus mothú na ndaoine a chaill a mbeatha sa bhliain 1916. Bhí sí mar aidhm láidir iomlán acu fís 1916 a chur i gcrích. Chomh maith leis sin, bhí a dtiomantas á léiriú go raibh athbheochan an chultúir Ghaelaigh cumhachtach agus ag fás. B'shin an fáth go raibh imeachtaí an 21 Eanáir 1919 trí mheán na Gaeilge agus go raibh iarracht mhacánta láidir traidisiún parlaiminteach Éireannach ar leith a fhorbairt.

When Dáil Éireann met in this place 50 years ago, it honoured the presence of 11 surviving Deputies and heard from President Eamon de Valera, who had so triumphantly led his party to an overwhelming victory in the 1918 general election. While we have no such direct link today to the great generation which established the First Dáil, their influence remains as important as ever. The general election they fought a month previously was a dramatic turning point which was influenced by many factors. Among those factors were the inspiring actions of the men and women of 1916, who had stood for a vision of an inclusive, free and outward-looking Ireland; the impact of a war between empires, which had brought death and destruction on an unprecedented scale; the impact of an historic epidemic of influenza, which ultimately killed 20,000 people here, terrified the population and undermined faith in the state's concern for its people; and of course the extension of the franchise, which allowed working-class men of all ages and women over the age of 30 to vote for the first time. Therefore, our first Deputies were returned by a new and radicalised electorate.

The First Dáil was the assembly of a rising people who were determined not only to achieve freedom, but also to use that freedom to create new possibilities. The documents they adopted during their first sitting spoke of a country which saw itself as part of an international community and of a Parliament which saw the people and their interests as sovereign. They had almost no control over the levers of power, but they had an unbreakable will. The Dáil removed any possible doubt about the objective of what was soon to become a full war for independence. The Irish people sought nothing less than a free democracy. While the First Dáil sought to represent all communities on this island, it was ultimately unable to prevent the sort of partition implemented by dissolving empires irrespective of the division, conflict and permanent insecurity which resulted. As with so many events of those times, Ireland was very much reflecting a broad movement which was seen throughout Europe. In a short few years, seven new states came into being. Among those seven states and their successors, the Dáil is the only parliamentary assembly which has since then continuously been freely elected and has held full legislative power. This is something of which we should all be deeply proud.

The most important ideal we have received from the First Dáil is that democratic republicanism must involve the capacity to evolve and to respond to the needs of today. Nothing could be more disrespectful to the memory of our revolution than to hold that its methods and programme achieved so little that subsequent generations needed to maintain them unchanged. In fact, the great generation which convened Dáil Éireann showed a remarkable commitment to change. The overwhelming majority of them played their role in developing this State, protecting it from fascism and communism and giving it a republican and internationalist constitution. Unlike their counterparts in too many other countries, the members of our revolutionary generation sought co-operation through strong international bodies, especially the League of Nations, the United Nations and the European Union. They proved time and again that nationalism can and should be an open, changing and diverse idea.

Much has been achieved since the Democratic Programme was issued. No one can deny the scale of progress which has been achieved. Equally, the Democratic Programme stands, together with the Proclamation of 1916, as a permanent reminder to us of what we should be working for. It is impossible to hear the demand that "no child shall suffer hunger or cold from lack of food, clothing, or shelter" and fail to understand how our democracy is still incomplete. Given that nearly 4,000 children are without a home, there is much more for us to do. Fianna Fáil believes that 1919 was a moment of great national purpose and one which belongs to no party. We strongly support the non-partisan and non-sectarian manner in which commemorations are being held. We acknowledge the role of the leaders of the other main tradition which emerged from the First Dáil. Of course we are proud of the role played by many of those who founded our party, especially our leader, Eamon de Valera, and the first chairperson of Fianna Fáil, Constance Markievicz. Constance Markievicz is a reminder to us all of the central role which progressive and suffragist activism played in the radicalism which made Irish democracy possible. This is a lesson which was forgotten for far too long.

Bhí Éire sa bhliain 1919 difriúil ar fad i gcomparáid leis an tír atá againn faoi láthair. Bhí cuimhní maoithneacha láidre faoi bhlianta an Ghorta, an t-ocras agus díshealbhú. Bhí tionchar ollmhór ag na himeachtaí stairiúla seo ar ár gcoinsias agus ar ár gcuimhne náisiúnta. Gan amhras, bhí dúshlán ollmhór roimh an athbheochan. Is cóir agus is ceart dúinn cuimhneamh ar an dul chun cinn tábhachtach a tharla nuair a tionóladh an Chéad Dáil chun dearbhú a thabhairt do chearta náisiúnta agus féinmhuinín na tíre. Bhí - agus tá fós - an cruinniú seo mar phointe cinniúnach i stair ár dtír.

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