Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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25. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has assessed the success and impact of the State's commemorative events held throughout the Easter period; if attendance figures are available for the various events; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19886/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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A large number of events took place over the Easter weekend as part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, all of which were very well attended by guests and members of the public alike.

The military parade and ceremony past the GPO on Easter Sunday saw approximately 4,500 guests attending - predominantly relatives of those who took part in the 1916 Rising - as well as many thousands of citizens participating right along the parade route. Easter Monday saw the largest public history and cultural event ever staged in Ireland, with more than 500 free talks, exhibitions, music, theatre, debates and performances across a number of venues and zones in Dublin City Centre. Official estimates indicate that over 1 million people were present to participate in and enjoy these two events alone.

Feedback from members of the public and the media clearly indicated the very positive engagement of citizens with the commemorative events, as well as the extent to which they felt a great sense of national pride and respect during this historic time.

The Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme is a year-long initiative, with a huge diversity of programmes and events running throughout 2016. While a large number of the key events took place around the Easter period, the Programme will continue through the remainder of 2016 and there are many exciting and innovative programmes and initiatives planned, including a large number of activities at local level. I am confident that our citizens will continue to engage with the Programme over the coming months.

I have asked my officials to assess the approach that should be adopted to appropriately gauge the impact of the Centenary Programme, as we move towards the conclusion of the year’s events, and this work will be advanced in the coming period.