Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the relatives of some of those who fought in 1916 and gave their lives for the country. Thomas Davis who was from Mallow would be proud today that a fellow Corkman was elected leader of Fianna Fáil. In his famous song, "A Nation Once Again", he wrote the line, "three hundred men and three men" to describe how the Greeks had taken on the Persians. As far as the British were concerned, Easter Monday 1916 was expected to be an ordinary day, but it turned into an extraordinary day in Irish history. The men and women concerned took on an empire which was bigger than the Roman empire and controlled the lives of 25% of the world's population. It had command of one quarter of the surface of the planet and they took on an army which, by the time the First World War had ended, comprised the Commonwealth nations and allies throughout the world, including South Africa. The empire could mobilise an army of 17 million. The odds against the men and women of 1916 were 11,000/1. On that ordinary day these extraordinary men and women dealt a fatal blow to an empire which was larger than the Roman empire. It marked the beginning of the end of British rule not only in Ireland but also throughout the world. It gave others belief that they too could attain freedom.

Last Friday, 21 January, was the anniversary of both the sitting of the First Dáil and the beginning of the War of Independence. I stated on the Order of Business that it was a sad reflection on the House that both events would go unmarked. That is why we are struggling to preserve the buildings on Moore Street and still wondering what we will do with the GPO which is still being operated as a post office. How is the headquarters of the 1916 Rising still a post office as we approach its centenary? Last week I stated it was a sad reflection on all parties in the House that that was the case. We have failed to commemorate the centenary of the beginning of the War of Independence. The French have Bastille Day, while the Americans celebrate Independence Day on 4 July, but we do not even commemorate what happened on Easter Monday 1916 properly.

The proposal to preserve 14-17 Moore Street is laudable, but Fianna Fáil has been in government for a long time and it has failed to do this. It is to the shame of my party that that is the case and we are still debating the issue in the dying days of the Government. However, this is one of a number of proposals in the Taoiseach's office which I hope will see the light of day. I also hope the abomination of a proposal for the development of an area around Moore Street which signifies the last remnants of the Celtic tiger will not come to fruition, but I am afraid it might through a failure of the Government to properly transform the area and the GPO. There is a proposal from Cloughjordan regarding the establishment of a centre to commemorate Thomas McDonagh. Deputy Blaney and I proposed that the Tricolour flying over the GPO should be replaced every day and that every year 365 schools receive a Tricolour flown over the GPO until every school had one.

Boston has an innovative tourist attraction called the Freedom Trail, a red brick walking trail. A line of paint guides people through all of the historic sites between Boston Common and Bunker Hill. I helped to draft a proposal that was placed before Dublin City Council and that is in the Taoiseach's office, under which we would develop a 1916 trail using green paint and bricks and taking in historic sites such as Wynn's Hotel where the Irish Volunteers force was founded, Liberty Hall, St. Stephen's Green and the GPO, finishing on Moore Street where Padraig Pearse surrendered.

It is a privilege to have the relatives of those who died in the Rising present. I hope in the fullness of time and before the centenary we will honour their memory.