Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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37. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of planned celebrations and commemorations for 1916; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31993/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Ireland 2016Centenary Programme, which was launched on 31^stMarch last, includes a rich diversity of programmes and events, complementary and additional to the formal State occasions, which will run throughout 2016 to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising. The Programme will be an invitation to everyone on the island of Ireland and to the global Irish community to shape and engage in a diverse range of historical, cultural and artistic activities – all designed to facilitate reflection, commemoration, celebration, debate and analysis and an active imagining of our future.

Officials of my Department have facilitated an intensive consultation period over the last few months, including active engagement with schools, universities, colleges, business and voluntary organisations, arts and culture institutions, historical societies and representative groups – at home and in our Diaspora around the world – to inform, to stimulate debate and discussion about 2016, and to foster programme initiatives. Work has been ongoing to implement a comprehensive programme and planning is well underway for the range of initiatives within the seven programme strands.

Among the key milestones achieved to date are the following:

- Over 83 public consultations, facilitated by the local authorities, have taken place nationwide. Arising from this, 31 individual local authority plans will be launched in October. I have allocated €1 million in 2015 in current funding to support this process.

- I was delighted to host the first of the State ceremonial events of the Ireland 2016Centenary Programme on 1^stAugust to commemorate the funeral of O'Donovan Rossa in Glasnevin Cemetery, in the presence of President Michael D Higgins and the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, T.D.

- An allocation of €22 million in capital funding is being provided through my Department’s Vote in 2015 for the ‘Permanent Reminder’ projects. These capital projects are progressing well and potential launch dates have been identified.

- The Government has announced its intention to purchase and restore the National Monument at 14-17 Moore Street, Dublin, and arrangements to this end are progressing well.

- The Global and Diaspora Programme, including the preliminary Culture Ireland plans, was launched on 29^thJune and was very positively received at home and abroad.

- On 6^thAugust, the Arts Council announced 9 major arts projects to commemorate 1916.

- The launch of the National Flag Initiative took place on 14^thSeptember, with the first in a series of deliveries by the Defence Forces of the National Flag and the Proclamation to over 3,300 national schools across the country.

- The grants programme for Irish language projects under the ‘An Teanga Bheo’ strand of the Programme has been completed and will be announced in the coming weeks.

- The Education Programme strand was launched on 22^ndSeptember for the primary, post-primary and third-level education sectors.

- Consultation is ongoing with relevant stakeholders in Northern Ireland, including official, political, media, artistic and NGO stakeholders.

Further information in relation to the various events, activities and initiatives taking place under each of the above strands can be found on my Department’s dedicated website at .