Keith Swanick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to the House and thank her for taking Report and Final Stages of this Bill prior to the summer recess. I also thank my co-signatories of the Bill, Senator Diarmuid Wilson who is with me here today, and also Senators Robbie Gallagher and Mark Daly.

As we are all aware, the first meeting of Dáil Éireann took place in the Mansion House on the afternoon of 21 January 1919. The meeting may have been brief and lasted a couple of hours but it was probably the most momentous hours in Ireland's history. Orderly queues even formed on Dawson Street. Visitors' tickets had already been distributed and the Round Room was soon crammed with people. Deputies nominated Deputy Cathal Brugha to be Ceann Comhairle. After he accepted the nomination he recited the Declaration of Independence in Irish, followed by Deputy George Gavin Duffy who recited it in French and, finally, Deputy Edmund Duggan recited it in English. The momentousness of this day was not lost on our friends across the globe. Journalists from the United States, Canada, France, Belgium and Spain came here to witness the opening of the First Dáil, which demonstrates how closely Ireland's struggle for independence was being watched by our neighbours across the world.

Yesterday, being 4 July, the US celebrated its Independence Day, Bastille Day will be celebrated in France and around the world on 14 July and Belgium's day of independence will be celebrated on 21 July. All of these days are recognised across the globe. As I have said before, no one party should attempt to claim ownership of the First Dáil or the Declaration of Independence. There will always be differences in opinion on how best to remember the past. I believe that it is not only appropriate but imperative that this momentous day in our history is formally recognised on an annual basis.

Finally, I thank my colleagues from all parties and none for the overwhelming support that they have shown for the Bill.