Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)
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I am glad to have the opportunity to say a few words on this very important topic. I welcome the Minister to the House. He is well placed because of his strong sense and view of Irish history to ensure that the commemoration period is dealt with in an appropriately sensitive fashion. In 2005 or 2006, on the floor of the House, I suggested that we begin planning for the centenary of the 1916 Rising due to its significance and the sensitivities involved. I am glad that we have gone well beyond that and we will celebrate the decade or more of historical significance.

The word "commemoration" is one we need to be careful of because commemoration often leads mentally to celebration and a certain presentation is then put on the whole theme. I recall being fortunate enough to visit Australia in 1995 on a parliamentary delegation visit, when Australia was reflecting upon the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The phrase being used was "Australia remembers", which I thought was a nice, inclusive, friendly phrase. Over the next decade, Ireland must remember, and we must remember a lot about our history, not just one single event or one single aspect of politics.

A lot of it, by definition, must be uncomfortable, and we must be prepared to deal with some of the uncomfortable and inconvenient truths, as the phrase goes. It will be uncomfortable for some people to remember the Ulster Covenant, but it must be done. It will be uncomfortable for some people to remember the tens of thousands of Irish people from all counties, parishes and townlands who fought in the First World War, but that is part of our history too and must be remembered. It will be uncomfortable for some people to reflect on the fact the 1916 Rising in its infancy was not the glorious revolution it is now looked upon but was actually deemed to be unpopular and unacceptable to a large number of Irish people. History changed and the focus on the Rising changed within the course of a few weeks but, initially, it was not a populist movement. This needs to be reflected upon.

Sometimes, we in this Republic find it difficult to remember the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the Civil War. We find it difficult to remember that the vast majority of the Irish people in an electoral exercise supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty, although it was not politically acceptable to everybody. We have to remember with difficulty the ethnic cleansing of Nationalists in Northern Ireland and the equally awful ethnic cleansing of southern Protestants and Unionists in parts of Ireland. That is our history, our make-up, and it is what we need to remember. "Commemoration" is a fine word in a sense but we must try to use the word "remember" as much as "commemoration" in order that it will be very balanced and fair.

I was interested in what Senator Bacik said about the teaching of Irish history, which is a subject that in the past decade or so has been downgraded in our schools, where there has been a move toward history becoming a subject that is selected and is in no way compulsory. If I was in the fortunate position of being the Minister for Education and Skills and there was one subject I could make compulsory, it would be history. I believe a reasoned and balanced presentation of Irish history and the transmission and teaching of that history would ensure the next generations of Irish children and adults would not go through what we have gone through over the past 50 or 60 years. We need to ensure everybody gets the jigsaw of what and who is Ireland in all of its complexity, its make-up and its historic difficulties, glories, triumphs and disasters.

I wish the Minister well in what he is attempting to do. This project is on a huge scale. However, if we all deal with it in a fair, balanced and sensitive fashion, it can only help in the building of relationships on this island and the genuine unifying of people. Let the unifying of territories sort itself out in generations to come; our task is ensure that people are united. In that regard, I join with Senator McAleese in giving a warm welcome to the initiative of having a presentation in this House by the Orange Order at some stage in near future. That will be quite a significant and historic achievement. Again, it is important that we listen to people with whom we have difficulties, doubts and disagreements. Politics and progress is about discussion, dialogue and debate. This is a very necessary and helpful step forward.

I look forward to the programme of events as they unfold. I know the Minister, as a former history teacher, believes in the importance of balance and fair play. That is all we can hope to achieve, namely, that all of us will listen to the other side of the argument and recognise that nobody ever had all the answers, nobody is all right and nobody is all wrong.

Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister to the House and support the comments of Senator Norris, who made it clear that the Minister's bona fides in this area are well established. I have no doubt he will bring to this project the same enthusiasm, engagement and commitment which we in Kerry know of so well. In that, he will have the full support of my party. This is something that embraces us all; it is for everybody and is not exclusive to anybody.

The decade in question was obviously a crowded, exciting and dramatic time in our history. It opened up with John Redmond pressing ahead with the old Home Rule movement he inherited from Parnell, Dillon and others and it finished up with foundation of the Irish Free State. A lot happened in the interim, including the Great War and, of course, our own declaration of independence and the subsequent War of Independence. All of these issues will have to be commemorated and observed in a fitting and sensitive manner. I welcome the tone of the Minister's address in this regard. All of these things define us as we are, and whether we came from a republican or from a Unionist tradition, everybody's history is precious to them. It was L.P. Hartley who said, "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there". Every generation tends to utilise the endeavours of previous generations to justify its own acts and activities. The classic example of this in the period would have been Pearse's oration at the grave of O'Donovan Rossa, where he invoked the patriotism of O'Donovan Rossa to justify what he was prepared to do in the following year in 1916.

We have to be sensitive and careful when we are dealing with another generation. My interpretation of history may not tally with that of somebody else. It is important, if political parties get involved in this - and I am sure they will have their own ideas too - to note that no one political party in this country has ownership of the past or of commemorating the past. I hope that what will be done by the Government will be done on behalf of the State and of all the people, and that it will exclude nobody and no section of our society, North or South.

In 1966, as Senator Norris said, we were a young, emerging nation and, 50 years on from 1916, we clearly celebrated that in, I suppose, a triumphant and brash way. We were probably entitled to it. We had arrived; we were on the national stage. Fifty years on, we have to be more mature and less militaristic. I hope we will not see too much of armies parading around the place, flyovers and that kind of thing. For the majority of the population of the country, 1916 is still the one central event of the decade, or so I would maintain. We must obviously give it a certain priority while not excluding the people who took part in the Great War, fighting on the side of Great Britain, and other traditions.

The Minister asked for suggestions. To go back to Senator Ó Murchú's point about the celebratory aspect, and the Minister is the perfect person to deal with this, I would like to see the arts coming to the fore as part of the commemorative process. I refer in particular to music, poetry and theatre. Senator Ó Murchú referred to "Seachtar Fear, Seacht Lá", which was the Dr. Bryan McMahon pageant in Croke Park which we remember so well. Perhaps Senator Mac Conghail might have some ideas as to how the Abbey Theatre, which had such a central part in our nationalist revival, can become involved.

I know the Minister is cautious about the budgetary aspect but it might be an idea for him to create some kind of centenary bursary whereby the arts could be supported. In 1966, one of the best initiatives was the creation of the 1916 scholarships for students, which the Minister might reconsider.

Education is becoming more and more expensive. Although to a certain extent we have free education, many young students would benefit from patronage. Perhaps the Minister could use this as a possible way of celebrating 1916 and all of the other events.

It is important that these events are celebrated at community level, as every village and town would like to be associated with the celebrations. Obviously there will be some flagship commemorations, most likely in Dublin, the North or wherever is appropriate, but I would like to see something for everybody in all communities.

In 1966 RTE commissioned a fantastic set of interviews with people who survived the 1916 Rising. I do not know what happened to them but I have an idea they were destroyed. Will the Minister examine whether there is any possibility of saving them? The media will play an important role and I commend The Irish Times on its excellent series of articles commemorating the 1912 Home Rule Bill. I look forward to The Irish Times producing similar articles to celebrate the 1913 Lockout and the 1916 Rising.

I do not raise my next point in a political partisan way and I have discussed it with the Minister previously. It is appalling that Eamon de Valera has not been celebrated or acknowledged in any way in our capital city. Whatever one's views of the politics of all of our great leaders of the past, such as Parnell, Isaac Butt, Collins, Griffith, Cathal Brugha, Connolly and all of the other leaders, they are commemorated in the city. It would be a magnanimous gesture by the Minister if in this process he re-established the identity of Eamon de Valera, who has been reviled by revisionist politicians. Neil Jordan did a great deal of damage to him. I appeal to the Minister to examine this and I am quite serious about it. It would be a gesture greatly appreciated if he were to take it on.

John Gilroy (Labour)
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I welcome the Minister to the Chamber. We have a great opportunity as we approach the series of anniversaries of the events which led to the foundation of the State and, more important, the formation of the consciousness of the State. It is important we appreciate the historical and personal complexities which steered these events and marked them out as a series of defining moments in the formation of modern Ireland. We must be conscious of the competing views of Irishness and have respect for traditions. We must be careful to allocate due respect to both.

I wish to mention the anniversary to be commemorated on 1 July 1916, which is the commemoration of the Battle of the Somme. The experience of thousands of Irish soldiers on that dreadful morning is seared into the consciousness of the nation. In the first few hours of the morning, soldiers from the 16th (Irish) Division, who were Catholic to almost a man and were drawn from the National Volunteers, fought alongside the 36th (Ulster) Division made up of men from Tyrone, Derry, Fermanagh and Donegal, along with Tyneside and Liverpool Irish, and suffered 9,000 casualties. The men of the Inniskillings 36th Division suffered particularly bad losses that morning with 2,000 men killed and another 3,500 wounded. These were the great grandsons of the same regiment which fought under a different name and stood before Napoleon's cannons 100 years previously and suffered casualties of 500 out of 700. These were all Irish men drawn from a handful of counties and small towns throughout rural parts of Northern Ireland.

Our views of militarism have changed greatly in the intervening time and it is not appropriate to celebrate war but, as Senator Bradford stated, it is appropriate to commemorate it. We need to be aware the men who fought and died at the Somme and during the First World War believed they were fighting for something greater than themselves. This complexity needs to be acknowledged. It is only in recent years we have even acknowledged the existence of these men and the approach of the anniversaries associated with the First World War offers us a wonderful opportunity to put this to right and I look forward to it.

Fiach MacConghail (Independent)
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I welcome the Minister to the Seanad for this important debate on the nature, challenges and role of commemorations as we begin a decade of centenaries. The Minister is the chairman of the all-party centenary commemoration group and therefore has a powerful role in establishing the vision of how we might approach the complex notion of commemoration and in how we deliver the activities planned. He is also in charge of our national cultural institutions which will be asked to articulate and manifest a decade of centenaries through contemporary arts, exhibitions, concerts, events, theatre productions, music and poetry in which we need to involve all of our citizens.

The first Minister charged with responsibility for culture in the Republic is now its President. President Michael D. Higgins established the vision, roadmap and passion behind the National Cultural Institutions Act 1997. I was proud, while working with a fellow Kerryman when he was Minister with responsibility for the arts, namely, John O'Donoghue, to implement large portions of the Act and the establishment of the legal entities and boards of the National Museum of Ireland and the National Library of Ireland.

When discussing commemorations we need to be aware that memory has its politics. If this decade of centenaries is either too controlled by the State or watered down so much as to avoid dissent or anxiety it will be a missed opportunity. The value of mutual respect, as the Minister eloquently stated in his speech, is the value that should drive commemoration and I applaud his vision for this. Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars was written not as a commemoration of 1916 but as a critique of the failure of the Rising and the promise that was not delivered. Are we prepared as a nation to look at some of our national events and judge ourselves against the values of those participants? The Proclamation promised to guarantee religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens. It also acknowledged differences among citizens. Therefore, any approach we take to marking commemorations should be about the future. How do we value ourselves now as a nation? We are morally, socially and financially bankrupt. How can we use commemoration as an act of renewal and reimagining of our communities and society?

It might be an idea to examine the issue of excluded narratives as the Proclamation is full of them. We should consider how we let down our fellow citizens and our children and have denied equal opportunities to all citizens. With regard to the Easter Rising, Diarmaid Ferriter recently wrote: "Inevitably, there were different meanings ascribed to 1916, and it was presented as 'an idea, an ideal, an illusion and a delusion: all bitterly fought over'. Commemoration also involved the exclusion of alternative narratives."

We need to mine the past, as we have often done, to meet the needs of the present. Our President recently stated: "The anniversaries are an opportunity too to retrieve a sense of peace with our complex identities." The challenge for us is to create a new story, narrative and myth of Irishness and our President is encouraging us to use memory and imagination as a way of renewing our collective sense of what it is to be Irish. In a recent speech given in New York, he stated:

Renewing Ireland and with it our sense of what it means to be Irish is one of the most urgent challenges facing us at present. It is a challenge which encompasses and underpins economic renewal but also which goes beyond it. It is an exercise of empowerment in constructing an ethical relationship with others and it can be emancipatory in freeing us from models of economy and society which are not only failing but which are disastrous in their social consequences.

What an excellent vision for us to inform our future planning of the commemorations.

The role of the contemporary artist should also be central to the discourse and debate on how we respond to commemorations. Artists were central to the discourse and debate leading up to the events of 1913 to 1921. They offered diverging and diverse perspectives. Artists should be commissioned and encouraged to engage in reflecting this decade of centenaries.

Yesterday in the Dáil, the Minister acknowledged artistic and curatorial autonomy is a major consideration for him and I support this. To achieve it, every cultural organisation needs not only legal independence but also moral and political independence. I know this to be true as the director of the national theatre. The Minister stated autonomy is achieved by having an independent board and chair; an independent director appointed and answerable to the board; and governance and procedures which guarantee transparency and help fundraise. The Minister supports Government proposals for the mergers, amalgamations and dissolutions but we want to support him in not letting this happen. While we are all agreed on the need for cost cutting and shared services, I would urge the Minister to try to have some of these policies revoked.

Culture Ireland, which has worked well since its establishment, had an independent board and chief executive officer. While the Department was aware that the CEO's contract was to expire in May, it made no plans for putting in place a successor. It has now advertised the position internally but there is no independent board to interview the candidate. Will the Minister confirm if there is an independent arts expert on the interview panel or if any member of the cultural board will interview the future director of Culture Ireland? Will he also confirm whether he intends to amend any part of the National Cultural Institutions Act 1997 as introduced by former Deputy Michael D. Higgins, now the President of Ireland? The removal of boards will not save money. These boards guarantee the artistic and creative autonomy which the Minister desires, as stated so eloquently by him yesterday in the Dáil.

The Crawford Gallery, National Gallery and the Irish Museum of Modern Art have put an excellent idea in terms of shared services to the Minister, which I support. I urge him to allow them retain their dignity and independence by retaining these boards. My final question to the Minister, whom I thank for sharing his thoughts with us, is whether he can confirm when the vacant positions of the director of the National Archive and director of the National Museum will be advertised. The uncertainty created in this regard does not bode well for the delivery of a programme of commemoration for our citizens.

I congratulate the Minister on his achievements thus far but I urge him to take a leading role in promoting the values of our fractured and diverse narratives and to include all of our citizens and cultural institutions in that process.

David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)
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I, too, welcome the Minister to the House. There have been many strong and powerful contributions during this debate on this important issue. I am delighted to take part in this important debate on A Decade of Commemorations. It is hoped people from across the island of Ireland, North and South, will, based on their own perspectives, historical analysis and ideologies, take part in the commemorations over the next number of years. Given the diverse number of events proposed there will be much commemoration throughout the island of Ireland over the course of the next ten years.

The Ulster Covenant, the Dublin Lockout, the First World War, Easter Rising, foundation of this State and the partition of our country are all important events in the history of Ireland. It is important in commemorating these events that we remember that at its core commemorating is remembering. We do not always have to agree with what happened. Senator Gilroy referred to the First World War and the Battle of the Somme. While as a republican, I would have huge difficulties with the people who fought in imperial wars, I also respect and understand the reasons many people fought in the First and Second World Wars and why they should be remembered and commemorated. As a republican, I will be commemorating the foundation of this State and the 1916 Rising. It is important also that as republicans - I mean that in the broadest sense of the word - we spell out what it means to be republican and to be a republic and that we learn from history and remember what it was that all of those people struggled, fought and died for.

Senator Norris made the point that some of the people involved in the foundation of this State and the Rising had opinions which he would not share. He is possibly right. However, the Proclamation which hangs proudly in the Houses of the Oireachtas and in the living rooms of many homes throughout the country is a timeless document, one which offered hope to the people of this country at that time, states that we should cherish all the children of the nation equally, wants to see a genuine republic which embodies the spirit of the united Irishman and of uniting Catholic, Protestant and dissenter. That is what the celebrations should be about. When we remember 1916 it should be about all of those things. The peace process and huge developments made in this regard open up new opportunities for us to commemorate 1916 in a different and, hopefully, more inclusive way than was the case in 1966.

It is important we understand the complexity of our history and that we create space for all of those who have different views and come from different traditions. The First and Deputy First Ministers in the North are trying to work through this in terms of the decade of centenaries that will take place in the North. There are some events that will obviously be more important to people from one tradition over the other. However, this must be marked and underpinned by mutual respect around where people come from and their different historical, ideological and political backgrounds. This is happening in the North.

It is interesting that we had two members of the Ulster Unionist Party, one a party leader, in the Public Gallery, today to listen to some of this debate. I would welcome the address by the Orange Order to this Seanad. It would be the first time the Orange Order will have directly engaged with a representative of my party, which will be historic in its own way in terms of those representatives having to answer questions put forward by Sinn Féin. Again, I hope that that event will be respectful and that we can work through, in a constructive way, the complexities of our history.

For me, it is important that we draw inspiration from all of those leaders of the past with whom we have an affinity. I referred earlier to the 1916 Rising. We must now live up to the ideology and aspirations of those involved for a united Ireland, an Ireland which has a true republic, one which cherishes all of the citizens of the nation equally. That, for me, must be what 1916 commemorations are about. The anniversary next year of the 1913 Lock-out, when people took a stand when locked out of their jobs because of the manner in which they were treated at the time, will be an important occasion. The rights of those people were denied. Some 99 years on workers continue to be shut out of their jobs resulting in sit-in protests such as at Vita Cortex, Waterford Crystal, La Senza, GAME, Lagan Brick and so on. While we remember the 1913 Lock-out it is important that we do more than that and ensure that the rights of working people are strengthened. It is regrettable that as we go into the anniversary of that Lock-out we still do not have trade union recognition or the right to collective bargaining in this State. This needs to be addressed.

While those events are important to me, I understand and respect that other events will be important to other people. At the core of commemorations for me is that we remember. I remember all of those people who died in the First and Second World Wars, the 1916 Rising and all others who struggled for their own reasons and from different perspectives over the generations in this country. As stated by a number of speakers, this decade of commemorations gives us an opportunity to deal with those complexities in a mature way.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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It is a great honour to serve with the Minister and his officials, John Kennedy and others on the Decade of Commemorations Committee, which is important in terms of acknowledgement of all the historic events which helped shaped this nation. While we must broaden our sympathies we do not have to lessen our loyalties. For a republican like me, the centrepiece of this decade of commemorations will be the 1916 Rising and the ordinary yet extraordinary men and women who did an extraordinary thing on an ordinary day, namely, took on the biggest empire the world had ever seen and struck a fatal blow.

The 1,600 men and women who went out on Easter week took on an empire in which the sun had never set and was at a day's sail from Dublin. By the time the war had finished Britain and her allies had mobilised 17 million men. The Irish Volunteers were taking on odds of 11,000:1. The empire controlled 450 million people at the time, which was one in every four of the world's population and had control of 13 million square miles of land, which is equal to one-quarter of the planet. Consider what those people did, when they appeared to have no prospect of success. Ultimately they did succeed, as a result of which we have this Chamber and the Dáil. The decade poses a number of opportunities for projects through which we can show the current generation what had to be done to achieve the Republic.

The military archives will put on a digital display so the world can see all those who participated in the 1916 Rising and the War of Independence. It means that every community will have an opportunity to see who fought and served in those events from their own area. The proposed freedom trail, similar to the Boston Freedom Train, would follow a line through the city connecting all the major locations connected to the 1916 Rising, including the Garden of Remembrance, Moore Street, the GPO, Wynn's Hotel, Liberty Hall, Pearse's home on Pearse Street and the Royal College of Surgeons, among others. One of the central points must be what can only be a dark stain on the entire nation, namely, the fact that now, 96 years after the Rising, the General Post Office is still solely a post office and not a centrepiece for a nation to come and reflect on such extraordinary people, as would be the case in any other country in the world.

As Senator Cullinane said, every Member has a particular topic within this decade in which he or she is personally interested. Senator Bacik spoke about the 1913 Lockout which was not only important in this country but throughout the world as it showed how capitalism, at its worst, can mobilise to inflict such pain on ordinary people. Senator Mac Conghail correctly made points about arts and culture. Without the Abbey Theatre, the culture of Ireland and the literary environment, there would have been no 1916 Rising. We must protect those institutions. I ask the Minister to take the issues raised by Senator Mac Conghail on board. There was also the very important contribution by Senator McAleese, who knows more than most the opportunities that this decade of commemorations offers in terms of reaching out, as well as the potential for things to go badly wrong if it is not managed properly. All sides of all traditions must show respect to each other to ensure this decade of commemoration is conducted in a fitting and appropriate manner.

The Proclamation, which Senator Cullinane discussed, is a document we can still reflect on today. That should be a part of our celebrations of the 1916 Rising in terms of how we benchmark ourselves against the aims and objectives set out in that timeless document. The challenge for this generation, as in the case of previous generations, is how to fulfil the objectives laid out in the 1916 Proclamation. In these difficult times, and we have experienced difficult times previously, we believe in ourselves enough to overcome the challenges we face. The people who fought in 1916 and those who struggled so hard through the centuries to achieve the Republic we have, are worthy of our respect and proper commemoration, especially through events such as the celebration of the events of 1916.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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This has been a very helpful debate and some very good ideas have emerged from it. I sincerely thank the Senators for bringing them forward. I got a number of good ideas which I will discuss.

The issue of the national cultural institutions was raised. I am still waiting for proposals from my officials who have been in constant communication with the various national cultural institutions. They meet on a regular basis. When the public service reform agenda was announced last November our Department set up a reform office and a reform committee. It has been working on that since then. Most of these public servants, from the Secretary General down, would have been in contact with all the cultural institutions over the years and people would be very familiar with each other and know each other personally. They have been working together in providing funding for the cultural institutions over the last ten years, so it is not a case that these people are strangers. Very close friendships would have developed over the years between officials from my Department and the national cultural institutions.

It must also be said that the Department's officials have been asked to come up with recommendations, but they are as sensitive as I am to the value of national cultural institutions. Whatever will emerge from this review will, hopefully, strengthen those institutions. I am very much in favour of the arm's length approach, wherever possible. I recall that when the Arts Act was being debated in 2003, and Senator Mac Conghail played a very crucial role in that legislation as he was an adviser to the Minister, I argued that case strenuously. I held up the debate for hours when people would have preferred it to finish but I believe in the autonomy and curatorial independence of the national cultural institutions. I wish to make that clear.

Fiach MacConghail (Independent)
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Can the Minister publish the reforms before they go to Cabinet or is that not the procedure?

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I do not think so. There will be consultation, whether that means publishing something or not. There will obviously be further consultation, and that is only fair. I have been informed by my officials that intensive and extensive consultation has already taken place with the cultural institutions. A very good proposal was received in the Department from the galleries and yesterday a proposal came from the chairman of the National Library, for example, with suggestions for a good way forward. All of these will be considered.

It is also worth mentioning that, unusually, a large number of vacancies have arisen for directors of the national cultural institutions. The director of the National Library has served part of her contract term but she is relatively new. There are new directors of the National Gallery, IMMA, the Chester Beatty Library and the National Concert Hall. There are a number of new directors. The director of the National Museum availed of the early retirement offer and there is now an acting director in place. That is going through the normal process and somebody will be appointed to the position as soon as possible. The same applies to the National Archives.

Culture Ireland is not a national cultural institution. There was a proposal some time ago that it would be, but it was decided in 2008 that this would not be the case. It is within the Department. A chief executive from outside the public service was appointed at that time. The person was on contract for a number of years, but that contract ceased. That person did a very good job but if the contract was renewed it would have to be a permanent position. That could not be done because of the complexity of our employment law. It is unfortunate because, coming up to the Presidency, he could have played a critical role, having built up such a reservoir of contacts all over the world, in Europe and in the US. However, that is employment law.

The position is now being advertised internally. Some very good people are working in Culture Ireland and are familiar with the range of contacts the previous CEO had. I am sure they could operate very well in the position, which runs for 15 months from 2 July. After that, it will be re-advertised. The urgency is that Culture Ireland will play a critical role in our upcoming Presidency. No decisions have been made and the discussion in the debate will further inform matters. When a decision is made, it will be taken at Cabinet and there will be further consultation with the national cultural institutions. I hope that whatever happens helps the cultural institutions improve their present functions rather than being a negative force.

Senator Ó Murchú mentioned community involvement. We are writing to all national community groups in the country to come up with proposals. We will have a forum featuring those groups in September to make proposals for the centenary of commemorations. I agree with his point that we will have national commemorations but commemoration at local level is also important. I was delighted to turned the sod for the Thomas McDonagh centre in Cloughjordan. I saw the whole community, of all political persuasions, come together in an effort to have the centre open before 2016.

Senator Noone referred to cultural institutions and Clontarf. We are in contact with the national cultural institutions. Dublin City Council has major plans for Clontarf and other local authorities also have plans. Advanced proposals for the Killaloe commemorations are being led by Mr. Keith Woods. They have connected well with the Nordic countries and come up with exciting proposals. There will be a programme for Clontarf and, as I pointed out to Deputy McGrath, Clontarf was more of a battle between Munster and Leinster than between Munster and the Norsemen. On the opposite side to Brian Ború were 4,000 Leinster men and 3,000 Norsemen. There were more Leinster men than Norsemen. Sometimes, it is portrayed as driving the Norsemen out of Ireland but, while it affected their influence here, it was not just Ireland against the Norsemen. A commemoration with proper historical backup and evidence could shed new light on Clontarf.

I agree with Senators McAleese and Ó Murchú that consultation and care will ensure our commemorations can address the sensitive issues in our history. I recognise the contribution made by Senator McAleese to the process. During his wife's presidency, he was working behind the scenes building bridges across communities North and South, which was the vision of his wife when she was President. He succeeded in getting communities into the Áras and speaking to people who never had contact with leaders in this country. The all-party Oireachtas committee met the Unionist Centenary Council, led by Mr. Stephen Gough, and a cross-community group chaired by Dr. Ian Adamson, another individual making major efforts to get both communities working together. He is a former mayor and high sheriff of Belfast. He was with Mr. Jackie McDonald from the UDA, Mr. George Newell, and the republican Mr. Seán Murray. He brought these people to the committee and we had a positive engagement. I recognise the work of Senator McAleese to bring both communities together in Northern Ireland and to connect us with those communities, especially the Unionist community.

Senator Bacik raised the role of women in revolutionary activity, the transformative effect of the suffragettes and electoral reform. When Churchill came to Belfast, he was not allowed into Belfast City Hall. He went to a church to make his presentation and one of the voices of protest was a suffragette. There is a celebrated photograph of Carson when he came to Dublin and a woman in the photograph is a suffragette. The suffragette movement played a major role in the home rule movement. It is important the movement is recognised. The matter was raised in the Dáil recently by Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, who spoke to a number of experts in this area. I advised her that we will have an event and perhaps Senator Bacik can advise us on it.

Ivana Bacik (Independent)
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I would be delighted to.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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We can do that as soon as possible.

Senator Bacik also mentioned labour law. One of the people on the expert group is Mr. Francis Devine. He was President of the Irish Labour History Society. He will provide us with valuable advice on the suffragette movement and the Labour movement at the time.

I agree with Senator Bacik's point about involving young children. In many cases, young children do not understand what happened in 1916. It has gone out of conversation at home. When we were young, we were brought up believing different versions of events but we all knew that 1916 happened. We all had great respect for the men of 1916. Afterwards, family views divided. If Senators ask children, they will be amazed at the level of knowledge of 1916. It is important we use the period to reconnect with young people, even in preschool, about the events of this period.

Senator Norris came up with a very good idea for the celebration of the Irish Republic in conjunction with other republics, such as France and the USA. It is a strong possibility and I will bring it to the attention of the Taoiseach. I have heard the view discussed that 1916 created divisions in this country through our celebration and our approach to it. In a way, it is suggested that it incited some division, particularly in Northern Ireland. However, I do not agree that how we celebrated 1916 is the reason for the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

There were other reasons. We have moved on. As a number of Senators have said, the commemorative displays at that anniversary were to show that we had arrived. We can now celebrate the commemorative decade in a totally different way. In spite of the criticisms of the position in which we now find ourselves, we are in a much better place as a country than we were 100 years ago. There are still opportunities for people in the country. We should not blame others for not achieving at this time. We have had significant achievements in a number of areas and should not denigrate ourselves now.

In response to Senator Norris, let me say this commemorative decade gives us the opportunity to develop a new programme and open a discussion on our history. Senator Bradford referred to the very good idea of Australia remembers. I am aware that Australia is putting a very special programme in place for the commemoration of the First World War. We are developing links as we have a significant connection with them, when one considers that 8,000 Irish men died on the Australian side in the First World War. Our programme for the Great War will align itself very closely with the Australian commemorations, especially with the commemoration of the Gallipoli campaign in 2015. I totally agree with the point made by Senator Ned O'Sullivan that no party has ownership of the foundation of the nation. All political parties owe their origins to 1916 and the years prior to it. With the establishment of an all-party committee, I am trying to be as inclusive as possible and all the good ideas raised by Members will be discussed. Senator Daly has come up with some very good ideas, and today Senator Bacik referred to the Suffragette movement and I will certainly work with her on that. It was suggested in the House that the life of Éamon de Valera was not being commemorated in some way in Dublin. I would be glad to see Mr. de Valera honoured on the centenary of the Rising.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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I remind the Minister that he has two minutes remaining.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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The surviving leaders were not honoured in 1966 and that deserves further consideration. I feel that in our struggle for independence, the contribution of W.T. Cosgrave, a Minister in the first de Valera Cabinet should be acknowledged in the appropriate way. We have the opportunity in considering our past to look at the contributions of all our leaders and commemorate them in a collective inclusive way.

I agree with Senator Mac Conghail's vision of defining a new Ireland and we have an opportunity to create a dynamic widespread debate on the way forward. This commemorative decade is very important as it gives us the platform to open up debate at all levels of society, encompassing debate among academics and in the local community. We have an opportunity to re-imagine Ireland. We can use our cultural institution, especially the Abbey Theatre, which was a source of inspiration and a major influence on the leaders of 1916. The ideas of Yeats and Lady Gregory were an inspiration to the leaders of that era.

I totally agree with the point made by Senator Cullinane that our commitment to commemorate and engage with the history of the period is not restricted to our interest in our tradition or heritage. We have an opportunity to draw inspiration from the achievements of our national heroes of that heroic age. We should read about them and draw inspiration from what they said. Our challenges are different but the principles that they died for should inspire us. I agree with Senator Gilroy that we can join with the Unionist community in Northern Ireland in commemorating the memory of those who fought in the First World War, be it at Messines, the Somme, Gallipoli and in other battles. In commemorating these battles we can build a relationship of tolerance with them.

I thank members for the opportunity to debate the commemorative decade and for all the good ideas that have emerged from this discussion. Senator Mark Daly is a very active member of the all-party committee and he has come up with excellent ideas such as a green line around Dublin, an historical trail and presenting a copy of the Proclamation on slate to all schools. I would welcome ideas from Members on actions and events, as we must make the most of the opportunity that this commemorative decade presents.