Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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262. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department plans has to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14407/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Good Friday Agreement, signed almost 25 years ago in Belfast, remains a remarkable achievement, one that brought peace and transformed this island. To mark that achievement, the Government is coordinating a programme of events to celebrate the peace and to underline the ongoing centrality of the Agreement to relationships across these islands. The programme will acknowledge significant contributions from people on these islands, the US, the EU and further afield.

The centrepiece of the Government programme is a cultural performance in the Abbey Theatre on 2 April, representing the rich traditions of these islands in a reflection on the Agreement, its legacy, and what can be achieved in the next 25 years.

I have launched a competition to encourage students to reflect on the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement by submitting artwork, poetry, or visual and digital works, exploring the theme of ‘The Gift of Peace and the responsibility that comes with it’.

The anniversary is an opportunity to commemorate what was a transformative moment for everyone on this island, bringing peace and resetting relationships. The Good Friday Agreement remains the agreed framework for relationships within and between these islands. It provided the foundation for a peaceful, prosperous society and it remains the foundation for a hopeful future as we look to what the current generation of young leaders and peacemakers will achieve in the next 25 years.

A selection of the submitted works will be exhibited in the Department of Education on Marlborough Street and hosted virtually on Scoilnet.ie to commemorate the Good Friday Agreement, and a winner in each category will be selected.