John Carty (Fianna Fail)

Will the Leader state whether the first meeting of Dáil Éireann, which took place on 21 January 1919 in the Mansion House, will be commemorated? It was a most important meeting and the Irish declaration of independence was made on that day.

This week, a great ceremony took place to commemorate the end of the First World War, the war to end all wars, but our forefathers had to fight on for another few years to gain freedom and our right to govern ourselves. I believe some ceremony should take place to commemorate the courage and vision of the Members of the first Dáil because without them we would probably not be sitting here today.