Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 40: To ask the Minister for Defence his plans to commemorate the Easter Rising celebrations in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2763/07]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 50: To ask the Minister for Defence if there will be a military parade to mark the 91st anniversary of the Easter Rising; and if the all-party parliamentary group will be reconstituted. [2807/07]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 40 and 50 together.

A commemoration will again be held this Easter Sunday at the GPO to mark the anniversary of the Easter Rising 1916. Following discussions at the All Party Oireachtas Committee it has been decided that the format of this years commemoration will be a military ceremony centred on the GPO with appropriate military honours rendered. There will not be a parade along the lines of the 2006 one. However, there will be a reading of the proclamation and a flag raising ceremony similar to what happened last year's successful ceremony.

The exact details of the ceremony are being finalized at present by an interdepartmental committee involving my Department/Defence Forces, the Department of An Taoiseach and all other relevant Departments/Agencies. Therefore I am not in a position to comment any further on the details of the organization.

As planning progresses I will continue to liaise with the other parties through the All Party Oireachtas Group as I have being doing to date. The Group last meet on 21 November, 2006 where we discussed the overall format for Easter 2007 and I expect we will meet again when the planning process has been progressed.