Gerry Adams
Question:8. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to mark the 1916 centenary celebrations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47695/13]
View answerTuesday, 3 December 2013
Questions (8, 22)
Gerry Adams
Question:22. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to mark the centenary of the Howth gun running; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47698/13]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 22 together.
I refer the Deputy to the earlier reply to Priority Question No. 2 in which I outlined the situation in relation to the ongoing preparations to commemorate the 1916 events. As the Deputy may have noted, a capital allocation of €6 million for 2014 was announced in the recent budget to fund a number of commemoration projects including the GPO inner courtyard interpretative facility, the Military Archives, Teach an Phiarsaigh, and other projects. The centenary of the Howth gun running will also be marked in co-operation with Dublin City Council and partners, including community groups and the Defence Forces.
As I have said before, it is my belief that the Rising can best be commemorated by placing it in the broader cultural and historical context. In this regard, we have brought forward projects such as the Century Ireland initiative, in association with RTÉ and Boston College, which is already charting the lives of the participants in the Rising from their first appearances in public life through to the Rising itself.
Clearly, the centenary of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic will be a most important anniversary and I anticipate that the special arrangements for the occasion will be of interest internationally too. I would welcome the Deputies' views on the commemoration of the Rising and would be happy to discuss any relevant proposals submitted.
Question No. 9 answered orally.