Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and the opportunity to debate commemoration planning, particularly in the week in which we marked Remembrance Day and the day after the launch of the commemoration programme in the GPO last night. I was sorry I was unable to attend it, but I was representing the justice committee at a conference. However, my party's Seanad spokesperson, Senator O'Keeffe, attended, as did many other colleagues. I have heard very positive reports of the event last night and of the very moving speeches made by the Minister, the Tánaiste and others.

During this week, as part of our commemoration, we remember the many thousands of Irish men and women who fought and lost their lives during the period we are commemorating, particularly during the First World War, the War of Independence, the Civil War and the Easter Rising. It is important that we commemorate these events in an inclusive way, as the Minister said. That is one of the most important aspects of this commemoration programme. It is hugely important that this period be marked in a way that is inclusive, respectful and appropriate. The Minister is correct to point to the strength of individual stories as a way of commemorating these events.

It is also important, of course, that we do not celebrate wars that led to hideous human suffering and waste of human lives, but that we mark them in an appropriate manner. The Minister told us the poignant story of John Kennedy. There have been many reports in the newspapers and many academic and historical accounts recently of families with terribly poignant stories of loss in the First World War - for example, the loss of multiple sons and brothers in individual families. Trinity College has been commemorating the graduates, students and staff of the college who fought and died in that war. All of us have our individual stories, and many families, including mine, were split between those who fought for the British Army in the First World War and those who stayed in Ireland and fought for independence. We are all aware of the sensitivities surrounding this commemoration period.

The five intersecting themes the Minister outlined - remember, reconcile, imagine, present and celebrate - try to ensure that we are commemorating in an inclusive manner and that we are bringing together past, present and future in the events in the decade of commemoration. Last night, all speakers spoke of the need to embrace differences and different histories to find a new way of sharing and respecting differences as we move into this century. The Minister also spoke very passionately about the individual stories, such as that of John Kennedy.

Senator O'Keeffe asked me to remind the Minister that next year, as part of the decade of commemoration, we will mark Yeats2015. Senator O'Keeffe is chairperson of Yeats2015, and the vision of the year, as agreed by the steering group of which she is chairperson, is that Yeats2015 will celebrate and commemorate the life, work, influence and achievements of W. B. Yeats through an engaging, celebratory and cultural programme to showcase Ireland as a dynamic, inspiring and creative place. There will be a number of events to mark Yeats's contribution. Of course, his poetry will be used in a great number of the commemorative events. I will speak a little more about that presently.

To turn to the points made by the Minister about the plan for commemoration, with regard to permanent tributes, it is hugely important that permanent work be done, including work of refurbishment and regeneration. I am glad the Minister mentioned specific projects such as Henrietta Street, Richmond Barracks, which has been very neglected, the Kevin Barry Room in the National Concert Hall and Pearse's Cottage. These are important spaces to be renovated and refurbished. The Minister also mentioned Kilmainham Gaol, a very important place to visit. I always send my students there because it instructs them about Ireland's past, not just the political past but also the way in which we treated people who were imprisoned on criminal charges. It is already a remarkable place. I pay tribute to those who run Kilmainham Gaol and who have made it such an important repository of work. I also pay tribute to those who run St. Enda's, the old school of Pádraig Pearse in Rathfarnham, which has been carefully and well restored and renovated. It provides informative accounts of the Easter Rising, the struggle for independence, Pádraig Pearse's life and his great work as an educator, in addition to his political work.

I should mention the Natural History Museum. That is not to forget the other cultural institutions, but I have been in touch with the Department about refurbishing the upper galleries of the Natural History Museum, which are currently not open and are inaccessible to visitors. That is a shame. It is outside the theme of commemoration, but it is important, given that we have such a strong cultural programme as part of the commemorations, that we do not neglect other cultural institutions that are not directly involved.

The Minister spoke about the State events. I wish to make three points about those events. Clearly, 2016 will be the key year, but there will also be events in 2015. The parade for Easter weekend of 2016 will be a military parade. Can we ensure it is not over-militaristic? I was very struck when I watched the parade in 2006, which was the last time there was a full military parade. I found it troubling.