Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 March 2015
728. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the plans her Department has in place to celebrate the centenary of the 1916 Rising at the home of Seán Mac Diarmada in Kiltyclogher in County Leitrim in 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13013/15]
View answerI am committed, together with my Government colleagues, to ensuring that the commemorations to mark the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising will be inclusive, appropriate and respectful. One of the core objectives of the Ireland 2016 initiative is to encourage and facilitate participation by, and the inclusion of, the citizens of Ireland to the greatest extent possible in the programme to commemorate this significant centenary. I have allocated capital funding of €22 million, which will be allocated in 2015 to a number of flagship commemorations projects. I have also allocated capital funding of €150,000 in 2015 to support the development of car parking facilities at the Sean MacDiarmada Homestead in County Leitrim. This significant investment will help ensure that the Sean MacDiarmada Interpretative Centre and Homestead will be accessible to visitors of all ages who wish to learn more about the life and ideals of Sean MacDiarmada, one of the pivotal figures in the events of the 1916 Easter Rising.
