Vol. 572 No. 1
91 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the proposals the Government has to mark the accession of ten member states to the EU which will coincide with the Irish Presidency of the EU in the first half of 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19851/03]
Celebrating the accession of the ten new member states will be a key focus of the cultural programme that will be run in conjunction with our forthcoming Presidency of the EU.
While many of the details are still to be worked out, at this stage it appears that relevant events will include: a major event in Dublin, with broadcast links throughout the EU; a broader programme of events to involve the wider population of Dublin; and a programme of events at key centres, specifically focused on the various accession countries, based on the host town model recently used so successfully by the Special Olympics, which will involve arts practitioners and local communities in key locations around the country.
The ceremonial and political event of the day is managed by the Department of the Taoiseach.
