Decade of Commemorations: Statements

Decade of Commemorations: Statements

Thursday, 7 June 2012

Senator Ivana Bacik: I welcome the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Deenihan, to the House. This is my first opportunity officially to congratulate him on his appointment as Minister. I know he has been doing an excellent job. I welcome the opportunity to debate the important decade of commemorations in the Seanad. We appreciate the opportunity to engage with the Minister.

I am taken with what the Minister said about what has been planned and particularly the inclusive nature of the celebrations, the positive engagement with the Unionist community and the inclusion of communities in North and South. Listening to Senator McAleese, I am struck by the important role the decade can play in furthering the reconciliation going on North and South. Like Senator McAleese, I commend the Leader of the House, Senator Cummins, on his invitation to the Orange Order. The House should play an important role in assisting the commemoration and furthering the peace process. I commend Senator McAleese on his significant role in the peace process to date.

Others have spoken about the importance of this decade and the transition it marks from the home rule campaign to the establishment of the Irish State. For the Labour Party, this year marks our centenary year and I am honoured to have been part of a book, edited by Daly, Rice and O'Brien, entitled Making the difference? It is a collection of essays commemorating the establishment of the Labour Party. I am delighted to hear the Minister say plans are in hand for the commemoration of the 1913 lockout and the role played by women and workers in the decade.

In the spirit of offering constructive ideas, I have three suggestions for the Minister's plans. My colleague, Senator Gilroy, has a particular interest in commemoration of the First World War. My interest is in ensuring a specific focus on the role of women and the struggle for women's rights, to which Senator Noone referred. In the commemoration of the suffragette movement, we should recall that the election in December 1918 was the first election in which women got the vote. It marked the election of Constance Markievicz as the first woman to be an MP or Deputy and links the Parliaments in Britain and Ireland. In December 2008 we marked the 90th anniversary of the election with an historic photograph in the Dáil Chamber of the women who had been elected in the Dáil or Seanad and who were still living. I would like to display the photograph in Leinster House. Something significant should be done for the 100th anniversary.

One must be careful with something as difficult and traumatic for so many families as the 1913 lockout. It is a bit like commemorating the Famine - one cannot have a celebration. I ask that the Irish Labour History Society and the museum in Beggars Bush be included. They have good ideas about the appropriate ways to commemorate the lockout. I am sure contact has already been made.

My third point is on the commemoration of 1916 and the need to ensure it is not too militaristic or a celebration of bloodshed. The role of pacifists in Irish independence, such as Louie Bennett and the Sheehy Skeffington family, should be commemorated. The strong role of pacifists was part of events leading up to Easter 1916.

The Minister asked about the inclusion of young people and ensuring a way to engage them. Those in preschool and at a very young age in primary school should also be included. I was struck by the success of the Olympic procession through Dublin and one way of including this age group is to have cultural ambassadors. I suggest Jedward and Imelda May, people who have a direct engagement with preschool and primary school age children. My children were wildly excited about Jedward carrying the torch through Dublin. On a more serious note, the ideas outlined by the Minister and proposed in this House show the important role of historians to ensure we have an active and engaged panel of historians. We have that and I am delighted it is being led by Dr. Maurice Manning, the former Leader of this House. The Minister outlined some of the key events hosted by the cultural institutions, including the event in the Hugh Lane Dublin City Gallery and in county libraries. These show the importance of keeping history on the curriculum, which is a point I will take up separately with the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn. It is important that history maintains a strong role in the curriculum.

It also serves to show the ongoing strength of our cultural institutions, to which Senator Noone referred. As a Labour Party Senator, I pay tribute to the former Minister and current President, Michael D. Higgins, who introduced the National Cultural Institutions Act in 1997. The arm's-length principle established in the Act, that national cultural institutions should have independent boards and directors with necessary specialist expertise to ensure institutions gain respect nationally and internationally, must be maintained. I am somewhat concerned at proposals that appear to go further than the plans in the Government's public sector reform plan of November. Senator Noone mentioned that institutions are entirely mindful of the need to save money in the current economic climate. They recognise the need to cut costs and to ensure they are as effective as possible. The galleries have put forward a detailed plan about sharing services and it is a view shared by all institutions. The proposals that the National Library and the National Museum will no longer have independent boards or directors might see us losing some of the respect for the national cultural institutions. I know that no decision has been made on it. It is not money-saving to have an independent board. Board members have already suggested they will waive fees and come forward as volunteers. We must be mindful to ensure the arm's-length tradition is maintained to ensure boards have expertise in their areas. In the current economic climate, they can bring an independence of mind to institutions in terms of philanthropy and fund-raising. That is a critical role for board members. The Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy McGinley, have said that no decision has been made and that the proposals will go to Cabinet. There is real concern among the arts community, which is manifest in the recent resignation of Professor Diarmaid Ferriter. There has been a good deal of talk about this. As we enter the centenary of commemorations, we will need to ensure our national cultural institutions are fit to play a vital role in assisting and supporting us in running the sort of events we are all so excited about to mark the decade of commemorations.

Like all of us, the Minister is excited about the decade and we all share the enthusiasm and want to engage constructively to put forward plans and ideas that can help mark the decade and make it an important, pivotal point in the history of our nation. In that spirit, we put forward suggestions and comments and I hope the Minister will take it in that spirit. I have huge regard for the Minister and I am delighted we have this opportunity to debate with the Minister.