I am glad to have the opportunity to say a few words on this very important topic. I welcome the Minister to the House. He is well placed because of his strong sense and view of Irish history to ensure that the commemoration period is dealt with in an appropriately sensitive fashion. In 2005 or 2006, on the floor of the House, I suggested that we begin planning for the centenary of the 1916 Rising due to its significance and the sensitivities involved. I am glad that we have gone well beyond that and we will celebrate the decade or more of historical significance.
The word "commemoration" is one we need to be careful of because commemoration often leads mentally to celebration and a certain presentation is then put on the whole theme. I recall being fortunate enough to visit Australia in 1995 on a parliamentary delegation visit, when Australia was reflecting upon the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The phrase being used was "Australia remembers", which I thought was a nice, inclusive, friendly phrase. Over the next decade, Ireland must remember, and we must remember a lot about our history, not just one single event or one single aspect of politics.
A lot of it, by definition, must be uncomfortable, and we must be prepared to deal with some of the uncomfortable and inconvenient truths, as the phrase goes. It will be uncomfortable for some people to remember the Ulster Covenant, but it must be done. It will be uncomfortable for some people to remember the tens of thousands of Irish people from all counties, parishes and townlands who fought in the First World War, but that is part of our history too and must be remembered. It will be uncomfortable for some people to reflect on the fact the 1916 Rising in its infancy was not the glorious revolution it is now looked upon but was actually deemed to be unpopular and unacceptable to a large number of Irish people. History changed and the focus on the Rising changed within the course of a few weeks but, initially, it was not a populist movement. This needs to be reflected upon.
Sometimes, we in this Republic find it difficult to remember the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the Civil War. We find it difficult to remember that the vast majority of the Irish people in an electoral exercise supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty, although it was not politically acceptable to everybody. We have to remember with difficulty the ethnic cleansing of Nationalists in Northern Ireland and the equally awful ethnic cleansing of southern Protestants and Unionists in parts of Ireland. That is our history, our make-up, and it is what we need to remember. "Commemoration" is a fine word in a sense but we must try to use the word "remember" as much as "commemoration" in order that it will be very balanced and fair.
I was interested in what Senator Bacik said about the teaching of Irish history, which is a subject that in the past decade or so has been downgraded in our schools, where there has been a move toward history becoming a subject that is selected and is in no way compulsory. If I was in the fortunate position of being the Minister for Education and Skills and there was one subject I could make compulsory, it would be history. I believe a reasoned and balanced presentation of Irish history and the transmission and teaching of that history would ensure the next generations of Irish children and adults would not go through what we have gone through over the past 50 or 60 years. We need to ensure everybody gets the jigsaw of what and who is Ireland in all of its complexity, its make-up and its historic difficulties, glories, triumphs and disasters.
I wish the Minister well in what he is attempting to do. This project is on a huge scale. However, if we all deal with it in a fair, balanced and sensitive fashion, it can only help in the building of relationships on this island and the genuine unifying of people. Let the unifying of territories sort itself out in generations to come; our task is ensure that people are united. In that regard, I join with Senator McAleese in giving a warm welcome to the initiative of having a presentation in this House by the Orange Order at some stage in near future. That will be quite a significant and historic achievement. Again, it is important that we listen to people with whom we have difficulties, doubts and disagreements. Politics and progress is about discussion, dialogue and debate. This is a very necessary and helpful step forward.
I look forward to the programme of events as they unfold. I know the Minister, as a former history teacher, believes in the importance of balance and fair play. That is all we can hope to achieve, namely, that all of us will listen to the other side of the argument and recognise that nobody ever had all the answers, nobody is all right and nobody is all wrong.