Vol. 210 No. 6
asked the Minister for External Affairs if his attention has been drawn to a report that the Irish Embassy in London rejected an invitation to be represented at a ceremony for the unveiling of a statue of Our Lady as a memorial to Michael Collins in the Church of Saint Ann, Underwood Street, after Mass on Sunday, 7th June, 1964; and if he has any statement to make on the matter.
9.
asked the Minister for External Affairs why the Irish Embassy in London declined to accept the invitation of the Michael Collins Society to attend the unveiling of a memorial to Michael Collins in the Church of St. Ann, Bishopsgate, on Sunday, 7th June, 1964; and if, in view of the offence caused thereby to Irish emigrants who have invariably remained loyal to the traditions of their homeland, he will have a suitable apology conveyed to those concerned.
I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 8 and 9 together.
In October last, the then Ambassador received an invitation to unveil the statue referred to in the Deputies' questions and he replied that he would be unable to accept. One of the considerations which affected his decision was that to accept would not only lend support to divisive influences but would give rise to demands for his attendance at other small presentations which might be organised subsequently. A process of this kind once it got under way would soon destroy the solidarity of the major Irish organisations which have been long established and doing magnificent work under their popularly elected leaders.
I may add that apart from his normal diplomatic duties, our Ambassador in London receives hundreds of invitations every year to attend a wide variety of functions not only in London but throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Many of these invitations are related to the activities of the United Ireland Association and other Irish social and cultural societies. The memberships of these organisations embrace Irishmen with varied opinions on home politics, past and present, who are all proud and willing to work loyally together for the cause of a United Ireland and for the promotion of Irish interests generally. The Ambassador accepts as many as possible of these invitations consistent, of course, with the carrying out of the many other duties of his office.
Since there would not be more than one memorial to Collins in this place, this could not be called a minor affair. Is it contended the Ambassador acted on that ground?
No. In fact, this was a rather inexpensive plaster statue, but that is not the point. It is that the Irish people in London have succeeded in working together and co-operating, irrespective of their political views. It is absolutely essential that they should continue to live down the old canard that Irishmen can never unite and that if they cannot get the leadership of an organisation, they run off and join one in which they will be able to appoint themselves the leader.
Is it not clear from the Minister's reply that he has made the statement that Irishmen cannot unite? A member of the Embassy was not allowed to participate in this unveiling function. It was a religious function and a religious function is never minor.
Do not drag religion into it now.
It was an invitation to a memorial Mass and the unveiling of a statue. Is the Minister aware that the invitation was both to the Mass and the unveiling?
The Ambassador got an invitation to unveil the statue, and he decided that to attend at this particular function would encourage divisive influences. He also foresaw that if he went to this function, he might be asked to go to others. It is important that Irish people should get together and stay together as they have succeeded in doing for many years. There are a great number of very strong Irish organisations. The leadership passes around, but if each time a man who goes forward for election and fails to get elected, jumps off and forms another organisation, where will they be?
Are we to understand from the Minister's reply that it is the deliberate policy of his Department that Officers of the Department of External Affairs cannot do honour anywhere to Michael Collins who was the greatest leader which it was the good fortune of this nation to have?
Here is a bulletin issued by my Department under my ministry, and in it there is a poem written by a deceased member of my Department. After his death we published a number of poems including this one: "The Tomb of Michael Collins".
Can the Minister say: (1) if the Ambassador took this decision at his own discretion or referred it to the Minister in Dublin; (2) was not the kernel of the complaint not merely that the Minister did not unveil the statue but that he did not allow any member of his staff to represent him at the function; (3) surely the Minister does not suggest that the unveiling of a statue or any ceremony relating to a founder of the State can fairly be described as a minor matter?
The Deputy has asked a number of supplementary questions——
Three.
It so happens that the Ambassador took the decision on his own initiative and did not refer it to me.
That is too bad.
He knows it is official policy.
Wait for the reply. You did not get the one you expected.
Send it to the Press reporters.
I have been interrupted and I cannot remember the other supplementary questions.
The second question related to the fact that the Minister did not attend the unveiling and that no one represented him at the function.
The only invitation I know of was to the Ambassador to be present at the unveiling.
Does the Minister suggest that a function commemorating a founder of the State, whoever he might be, can fairly be described as a minor matter?
I did not describe it as a minor matter.
I am afraid I misheard the Minister.
The Deputy can read my reply. I do not object to Michael Collins being honoured, and I wish Deputy Sweetman had spent £11 on cleaning the picture. If he had, we would not have had to do it.
You are a miserable lot of begrudgers.
When is the picture coming back, if ever?
The Tánaiste should keep quiet about this issue.
£11 would have been enough to clean the picture.
The Minister might table the minute he was talking about.
