Neale Richmond (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I say that as a Government representative here this afternoon. It is something that I task the Minister and the junior Minister in the Department with every day. We need to learn from this, particularly as we are an emigrant nation because 150 years ago, many thousands of Irish people were refugees in America, Australia and beyond.

Senator Conway raised the review will be carried out on again making history a core subject for the junior certificate. History is particularly pertinent to the many remarks made about the devastating vandalism done to the statue of the Haunting Soldier. I dare say that if the people who carried that act of vandalism had listened a little harder during their history classes in school they might have known that their ignorant and vicious actions have no place in a modern and progressive republic where we tolerate all backgrounds. I must correct my dear friend, Senator Conway, because he mentioned that we celebrated the armistice last week. We very much did not celebrate.