Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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9. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will be making grants available to local authorities to assist in the planning of 1916 centenary events. [24473/14]

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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17. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he is satisfied that plans to date to commemorate and celebrate the centenary of the 1916 Rising are such as will be fitting for such a momentous occasion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24287/14]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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23. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress being made in preparing for the centenary anniversary of the 1916 Rising; the number of times the commemorations committee has met since its foundation; the dates these meetings took place and the locations of same; if he was in attendance at these meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24470/14]

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister be making grants available to local authorities to assist in the planning of 1916 centenary events? The Minister will agree that local authorities are well placed to deliver local centenary events, but they will need financial assistance to do so. Can the Minister clarify how funds will be made available and distributed?

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 17 and 23 together.

Deputies on all sides of the House will agree that the centenary anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising will be an important occasion in the public life of our nation and present a unique opportunity to remember the sacrifices made by past generations. The Government's priority concern has been to plan a number of significant capital projects to provide a lasting legacy of the centenary. At a time when resources were and are constrained, I am very pleased that capital funding has been made available for a number of key projects. An announcement of an allocation from stimulus funding of €22 million for 2015 was made on 13 May 2014. The flagship projects to be funded include the development of a permanent interpretive centre at the GPO; the digitisation and provision of a permanent home for the Military Service Pensions Archive; the development of visitor facilities at Kilmainham Courthouse; the conservation of Richmond Barracks; a tenement museum in Henrietta Street, and a visitor centre at Teach an Phiarsaigh in Ros Muc. Significant refurbishment and development works are also to be carried out at the National Archives headquarters and at the National Concert Hall. Given the time required to complete these projects, the Government has accorded them priority with regard to the available funding for commemorations.

I also welcome the many commemorative initiatives by national cultural institutions, local authorities, academic centres, ex-service organisations, community and history groups which have recently marked aspects of centenary history. I mention with particular appreciation the programme prepared by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in respect of the Dublin Lock-out. The possibility of funding of events and projects at community and local authority level will fall to be examined in future budgetary discussions.

The Oireachtas all-party consultation group on commemorations has met on 19 occasions since February 2012. Keeping pace with the developing centenary programme, it was agreed last year that meetings should take place on a monthly basis. I can supply the dates if required. I have chaired 18 of these meetings, with the Minister of State, Deputy McGinley acting as chair of the only meeting I was unable to attend in December 2012. With the exception of one meeting held at Kilmainham Gaol, all meetings have taken place at Government Buildings in Dublin. The next meeting of the group is set for 24 June 2014. I am grateful for the interest and support of the members of the group.

I realise there is considerable public interest and expectation regarding the events to commemorate the Easter Rising. The focus of this ceremony should be unequivocally on the memory of those who fought in the Rising. I have asked the all-party group for its views on the nature of the events that should take place on Easter Sunday 2016 and take the opportunity to invite any Member of the House to make a submission in this regard.

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister for his answer and acknowledge that he has a calendar of events to mark the centenary of 1916 which includes a number of capital projects for completion by Easter 2016. Does the Minister agree that funding needs to be made available to local authorities to ensure that communities across Ireland play a central role in commemorating 1916? It is essential that with under two years to go people in organisations are equipped and resourced to play a full part in these important centenary celebrations.

Has the Minister engaged with his Assembly counterpart, the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, Carál Ní Chuilín, to discuss expanding the planned 1916 centenary events to ensure that they are all-Ireland in nature?

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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My question relates to the fittingness of the commemoration of 1916. I quote Professor Diarmaid Ferriter who said:

It would be naive to believe or expect that the current period of commemoration will not be affected by contemporary politics and coloured by who is in power; history illustrates that these have always been factors.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I agree with Deputy McLellan that local groups must get assistance for next year. There are a lot of plans. I hope to put a small fund in place to assist them. I have asked local authorities to assist local groups also. As I know from my own experience running small festivals, local groups can provide considerable value for money with a very small allocation.

I agree with Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan. I see no movements to date by anyone to hijack these events. The year 1916 belongs to all of us. Every political party in the Chamber can trace its origins back to 1916. It is very important that there is a very inclusive event of which everyone feels part. The nation must feel part of it and it must not be hijacked or monopolised by anyone. I agree with the Deputy. It is very much my philosophy as well and it informs how I have fulfilled my function as chairman of the commemorations committee. I have emphasised that the focus is on those who participated in the events of 1916, not anyone else. Certainly, that will be my vision for the 1916 commemoration. I thank the Deputy for her comments.

I agree with Deputy O'Sullivan that community involvement will be very important, with an emphasis on the cultural side of 1916. I note the cultural movements which led to the leaders of 1916 being inspired to do what they did.

That includes movements such as the Gaelic League, the GAA and others at the time that played a critical role in influencing people to make sacrifices on our behalf and to ensure we would be in this House today.