Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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378. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans for the Decade of Centenary State commemorations between 2021 and 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22284/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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As we navigate through the most challenging and sensitive phase of the Decade of Centenaries, the Government's approach to commemorations will continue to be underpinned by the principles and guidance of the Expert Advisory Group on Centenary Commemorations; and in consultation with the All Party Consultation Group on Commemorations, which I will reconvene shortly. My Department is currently developing specific proposals and indicative plans for a co-ordinated, cross-governmental commemorative programme for the remainder of the Decade of Centenaries. The objectives of the commemorative programme for the forthcoming period (2021 – 2023), which includes the centenary of the Struggle for Independence, the Civil War, the Foundation of the State and Partition, will be:

- To focus on themes of remembrance and reconciliation and on the commemoration of all of those who suffered and lost their lives during this period;

- To encourage reflection about the multiple identities, traditions and perspectives that are part of the overall Irish historical experience.

- To respond with sensitivity to the local historical context, acknowledging that there was no uniform experience within counties or across the island of Ireland.

- To further reconciliation on the island of Ireland and between Ireland and Britain - a core element of reconciliation is acknowledgement of the legitimacy of all of the traditions on the island that draw their identity and collective memory from our shared history.

It is envisaged that the commemorative programme will comprise four thematic strands:

- A State Ceremonial Strand, which will comprise a limited number of symbolic acts of national commemoration focusing on themes of remembrance and reconciliation and on the commemoration of all those who lost their lives during this period.

- A Historical Exploration Strand, which will comprise a diverse range of activities, in collaboration with State partners and other stakeholders, designed to encourage authentic historical enquiry about this period and promote the use of primary archival sources. Initiatives will be developed in collaboration with State partners, National Cultural Institutions, institutions of learning, and other stakeholders. Historical accuracy, academic integrity and archival discovery will be key tenets of the commemorative programme for the forthcoming period.

- A Community Strand, which will involve a collaborative approach – similar to that adopted for the 1916 centenary commemorations - between the State, local authority network and community organisations, including appropriate cross-border initiatives. Local authorities will continue to have a leading role in supporting and driving community-led commemoration, augmented with appropriate State assistance and participation, which will be determined on a case by case basis.

- The Creative Imagination Strand, which will continue to encourage artistic and creative expression in remembrance of the significant historical events of the period from 1921 to 1923 and all of those who lost their lives. Artistic and creative endeavours will have an important role in encouraging reflection, exploration and debate, allowing people of all traditions to reflect on challenging and sensitive issues.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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379. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding which is allocated to Decade of Centenaries commemorations and other commemorative events by her Department for 2020. [22285/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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As the Minister with responsibility for leading the Decade of Centenaries commemorative programme, my priority is to ensure that the Government's approach to the remembrance of the significant historical events and related themes of the period from 1920 to 1923 is appropriate, measured, respectful, inclusive and sensitive to the different perspectives that persist on the events of this period.

The public health emergency caused by Covid-19 has impacted significantly on the scope for 'in-person' commemorative events and my Department is engaged with our partners and stakeholders to address the challenges presented in order to continue to deliver the Decade of Centenaries programme in a safe and meaningful way.

Notwithstanding the challenges presented by the pandemic, the approach taken to programme development and delivery will continue to be informed by the guidance of the Expert Advisory Group on Centenary Commemorations - specifically, the principles laid down in the Advisory Group's Second Statement () which was published in October 2017, and also the most recent specific guidance from this Group (), published in January 2019. The guidance informs the Government's approach to the remembrance of specific historical events over the coming years, including the Struggle for Independence, the Civil War, the Foundation of the State and Partition. The Expert Advisory Group's Second Statement of Principles have been widely commended for providing clarity and a broad template to support all involved in developing and delivering authentic, citizen-focused and meaningful commemorations at national and local level over the remainder of the Decade.

The All-Party Consultation Group on Commemorations also has a significant contribution to make and will be instrumental in promoting an authentic, consensus-based and inclusive approach. I look forward to continued positive engagement and consultation with both groups over the coming period.

My objective in developing the State Commemorative Programme for the years from 2020 – 2023 is to ensure that, in remembering this complex period in our history, we promote a deeper understanding of the significance of these events, which accepts that the shared historical experience of those years gave rise to very different narratives and memories. The Programme will also take account of sensitivities across communities in Northern Ireland and continue to recognise that very different perspectives persist on many of these events.

This Programme is based on a four strand approach comprising:

- A State Ceremonial Strand which comprises a limited number of symbolic acts of national commemoration focusing on themes of remembrance and reconciliation and on the commemoration of all of those who lost their lives during this period.

- An Historical Strand which comprises a diverse range of activities designed to encourage authentic historical enquiry about this period and promote the use of primary archival sources. Initiatives will be developed in collaboration with State partners, National Cultural Institutions, institutions of learning and other stakeholders.

- A Community Strand, which involves a collaborative approach – similar to that adopted for the 1916 centenary commemorations – between the State, local authority network and community organisations, including in Northern Ireland where appropriate.

- The Creative Imagination Strand, which continues to encourage artistic and creative expression in remembrance of the significant historical events of the period from 1920 to 1923 and all of those who lost their lives.

For 2020 the allocation from my Department to the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 programme is comprised of €2m in current funding and a further €790k in capital funding.