Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach's office for accepting this Commencement matter. I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. As he knows, 22 August will be the 100th anniversary of the death of General Michael Collins. The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste will address the annual Béal na Bláth commemoration on Sunday, 21 August, as a sign of reconciliation in this decade of centenaries. It is perhaps reflective of the new reality of politics in this country in the context of a coalition Government involving the two great rivals. As the Minister of State will also know, the monument to Daniel O'Connell, the great liberator, was erected in 1880. He was famous for his role in Catholic emancipation and as a pacifist. It is extraordinary even with that passage of time we still have no national monument in Dublin to General Michael Collins or, indeed, to many other of the great heroes of our War of Independence, whether they are Cathal Brugha, Countess Markievicz, William T. Cosgrave or Éamon de Valera. There is no reflection and commemoration in Dublin, our capital city, to these great heroes of our independence.

It is now timely after 100 years and at this point in the decade of commemorations to change that. We should not be ashamed of our past. We should remember it. Young people, in particular, should be able to remember and know what has happened in this country and in our past. Monuments and statues should not be divisive. They should be reflective of our history. This issue was raised yesterday in the Dáil by my colleague, Deputy Phelan. The Taoiseach did not give a particularly informative answer on whether there are plans for a statue to General Collins. It is beholden on us now, as part of this decade of commemorations, that this be looked at seriously and plans put in place for it. The Minister of State might give answers in the context of his responsibility for the Office of Public Works. Is it his job or responsibility to commission a statue or monument? Is it something he can take upon himself or does it have to be agreed by Cabinet or the Taoiseach's office? Who has to give the go-ahead for something like this to be initiated?

So many school tours come to this Chamber and to the Dáil, they visit the Gallery in Leinster House, and they attend the National Gallery of Ireland or the National Library of Ireland. It would be a major addition for all those school tours that come to these buildings, as well as for active retirement groups and other visitors, that there would be a series of monuments or statues to the heroes I have identified as part of our struggle for independence in the general vicinity of Leinster House, whether it be Merrion Square or outside Government Buildings. General Collins was our first Minister for Finance. A monument in the general area of these buildings would be a fitting tribute for the benefit of all those who visit our capital city. It would be a sign of maturity regarding a changing Ireland in that we would finally accept that we have put the divisions in our country behind us, while reflecting on those people who fought for and achieved our independence. We see monuments to their heroes in every other country that has gained independence around the world. Quite rightly, we have seen monuments to Queen Victoria removed from Leinster House, but we have not got monuments to those who replaced her and struggled to get independence from the crown. I look forward to the Minister of State's reply regarding plans that he or the Government may have for fitting tributes.