Keith Swanick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Section 1 of the Bill deals with the various definitions contained within the Bill. Ar dtús cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta, agus Gaeltachta, an Teachta Madigan, as a bheith anseo inniu. Tá sé in am anois comóradh a dhéanamh ar cruinniú an Chéad Dáil. I believe it is now time to commemorate the Declaration of Independence and the meeting of the First Dáil on 21 January 1919. As I said, section 1 deals with the definitions used in the Bill. First, as per this section, "Declaration of Independence" means the formal Declaration of Independence issued by the Members of Dáil Éireann on 21 January 1919. Second, this section refers to the "First Dáil", which means the meeting in the Round Room of the Mansion House in Dublin on 21 January 1919, at which Dáil Éireann was constituted and asserted the exclusive right of the elected representatives of the Irish people to legislate for the country.