Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak to the Commencement matter the Senator raised. The Office of Public Works undertakes the acquisition of paintings, sculpture and drawings on behalf of the Department of the Taoiseach. To the Senator's first point, there are no plans at present for any additional sculptures, monuments or anything of that nature for anybody associated with the War of Independence or the Civil War because we have to await instruction from the Department of the Taoiseach.The OPW commences the acquisition process at the request of the Department of the Taoiseach and initiates management of the art project, be it a painted portrait or a sculpture, when this request has been received.

Since the foundation of the State, the OPW has been involved in managing portraits on behalf of successive Governments. There are several existing representations of Michael Collins in State ownership, including the iconic three-quarter-length portrait painted by renowned artist Leo Whelan in the entrance hall to Leinster House. It is on display in a prominent location and is on view to all members of the public. There is another representation of Michael Collins on view in the environs of Leinster House. His portrait accompanies those of Arthur Griffith and Kevin O'Higgins on the base of the cenotaph, a tall Wicklow granite obelisk that is located centrally on Leinster Lawn. The cenotaph, which was completed in 1950, was designed by OPW architects Raymond McGrath and Frederick Du Berry. The three portraits on its base were created by sculptor Laurence Campbell.

The OPW has been actively involved in marking the decade of centenaries across the many heritage properties it manages. Commemoration ceremonies, exhibitions, public tours, seminars and lectures and a wide variety of events have been held in Dublin and throughout the country at OPW-managed locations. I can advise the Senator that I have written to the Department of the Taoiseach earlier this year regarding a national monument to commemorate Michael Collins, a matter that was raised at an OPW-facilitated venue in Woodfield in County Cork where the diaries of Michael Collins were presented to the National Archives by the Collins family. This matter was raised then and has been raised continually. It has been raised with us by community groups, Members of the Oireachtas, Ministers and others, but, unfortunately, I have no news about whether this project will proceed.

Deputy Ó Cuív and I represent our respective parties on the all-party committee on commemorations that advised the expert working group. This matter was discussed by that committee. Deputy Ó Cuív and I are of the view that three people who, in the early days of the State, were either leaders of the provisional Government or the national Government after the treaty and who lost their lives in quick succession - Arthur Griffith, Cathal Brugha and Michael Collins - all deserve to be commemorated. The Senator is right. Michael Collins is commemorated in the context of his role as Minister for Finance in the form of a coin has been issued by the Central Bank. He will be commemorated in the context of his role as a post office clerk in the form of a stamp that is due to be issued at a later date. I know of nowhere in world - the democratic world certainly - where the leader of a democratic nation who was assassinated is not the subject of a national commemoration. That happens in all democratic countries across the world. As Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, it is my view that it should happen here.