Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last weekend, as a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, I and a number of colleagues from this House, including the Leader of the House, attended a plenary with a difference. We spent Monday visiting the battlefields of Flanders in south-west Belgium, on the border with France. From an Irish point of view, we were specifically interested in, and had the opportunity of paying tribute at the graves of, two Irish patriots who died in that war, Major Willie Redmond, who came from the Leader's home county and died in rather tragic circumstances, and the great poet, Francis Ledwidge, whose reputation has been considerably enhanced over the decades since he, too, was tragically killed in a non-combat environment, when a shell fell when he was digging holes and two of his fellow soldiers were also tragically killed. These are just two of many hundreds of stories we had heard throughout the day we visited Flanders. In that context, I ask the Leader to consider setting aside an hour for statements on or near Armistice Day, 11 November, as an official tribute from this House of Parliament to those brave Irish soldiers who died for what they believed to be the cause of freedom for Ireland and who have now, belatedly, been acknowledged for that contribution, despite the layers of ignoring history over the decades.

It would also afford an opportunity for this House to discuss and to have a response from the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys, on the Government's plans for the 1916 commemorations, which seem to be clouded in some obfuscation - I will not go so far as to say mystery. It is an area of concern for the surviving relatives of the 1916 leaders that the Government has not yet enunciated a coherent policy as to how they will approach it. This matter came up informally at the weekend among British members because of the media attention that has been focused on the possibility of a member of the British royal family attending the 1916 commemorations - an issue on which I must admit I have ambivalent views. I believe that this is an exclusively Irish commemoration. After all, it was about ending British domination in Ireland and it might be a little incongruous to have a representative of the British royal family attending the commemoration of a seminal event in our history.

In the context of what I have said and because of the ongoing debate about 1916, it would be a useful opportunity for this House to at least get some clarification but also to provide a platform to acknowledge the courageous contribution made by those Irish men and women for what they believed to be the cause of Irish freedom in the 1914-18 war.

I would also like to formally second the Leader's amendment.