John Bruton
Ceist:1 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will give details of the Government's plans to support the construction of a memorial monument in Messines, Belgium, to commemorate Irish First World War dead. [19436/97]
Ceisteanna—Questions. - First World War Memorial.
Following a meeting I had with members of the Journey of Reconciliation Trust, including Mr. Glen Barr and Mr. Paddy Harte, I announced that the Government would provide £150,000 towards the cost of a First World War memorial in Belgium for all the Irishmen who died in the conflict. The memorial is to be erected at Messines which is the only location where the 36th Ulster Division and the 16th Irish Division fought side by side in that war. The funding will come from moneys accruing to the Government in connection with the winding up of the Irish Soldiers and Sailors Land Trust, a body established in 1922-23 to provide housing for veterans of the First World War.
The memorial will not only recall the sacrifices of those from all parts of Ireland and from all political and religious traditions who fought and fell in the war but will also serve as a powerful symbol of reconciliation in the present day. I warmly commend the trust on its initiative.
Political controversies and divisions of the past must be transcended in favour of common humanity and in the interests of our future and that of our children. There needs to be room for all traditions and recognition that there are many different ways in which fine people try to serve their country.
It was entirely fitting that I announced the Government's plans on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Enniskillen bombing. I note my announcement was welcomed in editorials in the Irish News and Belfast Telegraph and that they coupled it with the SDLP Mayors of Belfast and Derry taking leading roles at the Remembrance Day ceremonies in their respective cities. I endorse the view of the Belfast Telegraph that “In these days of confidence-building, these are important gestures”.
I join the Taoiseach in commending the SDLP mayors of Derry and Belfast on taking part in the Remembrance Day commemorations. It was a courageous and important gesture on their part. I also compliment the Taoiseach on his initiative in allocating funds for the erection of a memorial to the Irish men in the British Army, in both the Ulster Division and the 16th Irish Division, who died in and around Messines. How much money is accruing to the Government under the winding up of the sailors' and soldiers' land trust? What proportion of this has been allocated to this project and how much remains?
I thank the Deputy for his remarks. The Irish Sailors' and Soldiers' Land Trust is in the process of being wound up. When this is complete, approximately £1 million will become available, most likely some time in the new year. At that stage, advertisements will be placed in the national newspapers inviting individuals and bodies to apply for appropriate grant aid, and criteria will be issued to assist applicants. In the meantime, if money is required for the project, it will be provided initially by the Exchequer which will be refunded by money from the trust. This will cost approximately £150,000 which should leave about £800,000 in the trust.
The Taoiseach will recall the important commemoration which took place at the memorial in Islandbridge on the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. Will he consider allocating some of the money from the balance of the trust fund towards further improvements to the memorial on the banks of the Liffey at Islandbridge?
I recall that initiative of the then Taoiseach and was honoured to be there on the occasion. The memorial needs substantial funding. Some of the international media which were there recently pointed out that, while the location was beautiful, a number of improvements could be made to the site. I have taken that into account. A proposal would probably need to be put forward to obtain funding, but I will examine the issue nonetheless.
Does the Taoiseach agree that, as the State administers and maintains Islandbridge, the initiative to use trust funds for this will have to come from either himself or the Minister for Finance?
I will examine the issue, but there is a difficulty in that one of the agreements in the winding up of the Irish Sailors' and Soldiers' Land Trust is that it will not be disbursed in a narrow way and used for a specific governmental purpose. However, I will examine the issue to see if some procedure could be adopted to fulfil the Deputy's request.
I welcome the Taoiseach's commitment to this project. My colleague, the former Deputy, Paddy Harte, is committed to this project. Will the Taoiseach indicate if the design or the nature of the monument has been decided? What is envisaged will be its form?
I agree with Deputy McGinley that Paddy Harte has long been associated with this issue, and both he and Glen Barr are the two central figures. The peace park will be located on the outskirts of Messines which is where the Ulster and Irish regiments fought alongside each other in the First World War. The park will contain a number of features intended to represent the entire island without being denominational or particular to one community. It will include a round tower, a physical structure readily identifiable with Ireland. It will also consist of four areas symbolic of each of the provinces. A map of the island will be laid out in a paved form with a variety of native trees and shrubs. It is also planned to link the park by path to the nearby New Zealand monument which will be a symbolic linking of the northern and southern hemispheres while also linking the various traditions of Ireland. The park will be used as a focus point to encourage cross community relations by sponsoring visits to the region, maintaining the park, studying historic causes and the effects of conflict and war.
Will the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister jointly turn the sod and launch this proposal?
This suggestion has not yet been put to me. There are a number of other proposals. The group will meet today and will contact me within the next week or so.