asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will consider having a special stamp or set of stamps issued to commemorate the great Wexfordman, Commodore John Barry, who founded the American Navy.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Founder of American Navy.
This suggestion has already been considered; I regret that it is not feasible to accede to it.
Will the Minister say why it is not feasible to accede to this suggestion and issue such a commemorative stamp, as other such stamps have been issued?
The number of commemorative issues is limited each year. If we were to start on famous Wexfordmen, we could practically have a permanent stamp issue every year.
Is the Minister aware that the American people are honouring this Wexfordman and that representatives of the American authorities have been in Wexford seeking a site for a monument to this man? Is it possible that the Irish Governmentrefuse to make a commemorative stamp available to the public, as has been done in the case of Tone, Emmet and other Irishmen?
We generally confine the commemorative issues to people who have given a good part of their life to residence in Ireland. If there is someone who has given a good part of his life to doing something in Ireland for Ireland, he would come before a person, whoever he might be, most of whose career was lived outside Ireland.
Does the Minister not consider that the issue of such a stamp would be a good dollar earner, in view of the interest the American people would take in it?