Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Minister of State's statement. As some of it was not included in the initial announcement, I will further analyse that. I will need to write to the Taoiseach and the OPW. I find it a bit unusual there is not a public consultation process but the statement indicated the committee will be engaging in that work.

Ultimately, I want to know what the legacy of the project will be. Will we have a monument that is well signposted and well delivered, that will historicise the past, that will acknowledge loss and mistakes made and that will reflect on our present and further education? I am conscious there was a group, I think from transition year, here as well. What will the involvement in the education system be?

Finally, on consultation, in the early stages of the project there were consultations held in Dublin, Cork and Belfast. If we are going to call this a national monument and it is to be truly national, we must engage with citizens in the North. Their voices must be included. When we are talking about figures they must be included as well. Everyone must be acknowledged. It cannot be a national monument if it does not include all the communities affected on this island.