Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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65. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to involve the General Post Office on O’Connell Street, Dublin in the commemoration of the centenary of 1916; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44516/13]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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322. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of sites or historical locations in Dublin likely to be recognised in the context of the 1916 Rising; the extent to which it is proposed to protect any threatened sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44793/13]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 65 and 322 together.

The commemoration of the Easter Rising and the Proclamation of the Irish Republic will be the centrepiece of the Decade of Commemorations. I continue to work with my colleagues in Government, and with the National Cultural Institutions and other stakeholders, to explore options for comprehensive and authentic commemorations. I am also taking advice from the Oireachtas Group on Commemorations, which I chair, and the Expert Advisory Group on Commemorations, with a view to ensuring that this most important event is imaginatively and respectfully commemorated. My Department is also working closely with Dublin City Council on these matters.

The historic significance of locations and buildings in Dublin and elsewhere will be reflected as much as possible in the commemoration programme, including by way of memorials and commemorative exhibitions or otherwise, where appropriate. The inclusion in the Budget announcements of capital funding for 1916 Commemoration Projects, including the GPO inner courtyard exhibition and interpretative facility, is a welcome step toward the realisation of plans, which will seek to demonstrate the respect which our State and its citizens hold for the people who laid down their lives for our freedom.