David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

I, too, welcome the Minister to the House. There have been many strong and powerful contributions during this debate on this important issue. I am delighted to take part in this important debate on A Decade of Commemorations. It is hoped people from across the island of Ireland, North and South, will, based on their own perspectives, historical analysis and ideologies, take part in the commemorations over the next number of years. Given the diverse number of events proposed there will be much commemoration throughout the island of Ireland over the course of the next ten years.

The Ulster Covenant, the Dublin Lockout, the First World War, Easter Rising, foundation of this State and the partition of our country are all important events in the history of Ireland. It is important in commemorating these events that we remember that at its core commemorating is remembering. We do not always have to agree with what happened. Senator Gilroy referred to the First World War and the Battle of the Somme. While as a republican, I would have huge difficulties with the people who fought in imperial wars, I also respect and understand the reasons many people fought in the First and Second World Wars and why they should be remembered and commemorated. As a republican, I will be commemorating the foundation of this State and the 1916 Rising. It is important also that as republicans - I mean that in the broadest sense of the word - we spell out what it means to be republican and to be a republic and that we learn from history and remember what it was that all of those people struggled, fought and died for.

Senator Norris made the point that some of the people involved in the foundation of this State and the Rising had opinions which he would not share. He is possibly right. However, the Proclamation which hangs proudly in the Houses of the Oireachtas and in the living rooms of many homes throughout the country is a timeless document, one which offered hope to the people of this country at that time, states that we should cherish all the children of the nation equally, wants to see a genuine republic which embodies the spirit of the united Irishman and of uniting Catholic, Protestant and dissenter. That is what the celebrations should be about. When we remember 1916 it should be about all of those things. The peace process and huge developments made in this regard open up new opportunities for us to commemorate 1916 in a different and, hopefully, more inclusive way than was the case in 1966.

It is important we understand the complexity of our history and that we create space for all of those who have different views and come from different traditions. The First and Deputy First Ministers in the North are trying to work through this in terms of the decade of centenaries that will take place in the North. There are some events that will obviously be more important to people from one tradition over the other. However, this must be marked and underpinned by mutual respect around where people come from and their different historical, ideological and political backgrounds. This is happening in the North.

It is interesting that we had two members of the Ulster Unionist Party, one a party leader, in the Public Gallery, today to listen to some of this debate. I would welcome the address by the Orange Order to this Seanad. It would be the first time the Orange Order will have directly engaged with a representative of my party, which will be historic in its own way in terms of those representatives having to answer questions put forward by Sinn Féin. Again, I hope that that event will be respectful and that we can work through, in a constructive way, the complexities of our history.

For me, it is important that we draw inspiration from all of those leaders of the past with whom we have an affinity. I referred earlier to the 1916 Rising. We must now live up to the ideology and aspirations of those involved for a united Ireland, an Ireland which has a true republic, one which cherishes all of the citizens of the nation equally. That, for me, must be what 1916 commemorations are about. The anniversary next year of the 1913 Lock-out, when people took a stand when locked out of their jobs because of the manner in which they were treated at the time, will be an important occasion. The rights of those people were denied. Some 99 years on workers continue to be shut out of their jobs resulting in sit-in protests such as at Vita Cortex, Waterford Crystal, La Senza, GAME, Lagan Brick and so on. While we remember the 1913 Lock-out it is important that we do more than that and ensure that the rights of working people are strengthened. It is regrettable that as we go into the anniversary of that Lock-out we still do not have trade union recognition or the right to collective bargaining in this State. This needs to be addressed.

While those events are important to me, I understand and respect that other events will be important to other people. At the core of commemorations for me is that we remember. I remember all of those people who died in the First and Second World Wars, the 1916 Rising and all others who struggled for their own reasons and from different perspectives over the generations in this country. As stated by a number of speakers, this decade of commemorations gives us an opportunity to deal with those complexities in a mature way.