THE MAIN OPPOSITION parties have given their response to the news that the government removed Easter Rising leaders from 1916 commemorative literature.
It was revealed earlier this week through an freedom of information request made by RTÉ that the imagery attached to the leaflets used to promote the government’s programme of events for the centenary of the Rising originally included photographs of IRA volunteers from a Galway flying column.
There were also pictures included that contained reference to the execution of the volunteers involved in the Rising.
The government faced substantial criticism after the launch of the 2016 Ireland Inspires programme of events for not making explicit reference to the events of 1916.
Reaction
In reaction to changes the government have made since launching the Ireland Inspires campaign, Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív, stated that:
Fianna Fáil is satisfied that the Government has made significant progress since its initial programme launch at the GPO last November.
Ó Cuív said that his party is looking for a, “state commemoration for all people, and not just a ‘Government commemoration’.”
He went on to say that there would be a push for an emphasis on the Irish language and the restoration of the 1916 third-level scholarship awarded in the names of those who participated in the Rising.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, a spokesperson for Sinn Féin reacted to the information by saying, “it is an example again that the government is embarrassed by the past”.
“We have seen that there has been a marked improvement on what had been previously announced – but we can’t forget why we are commemorating this. Not just that there was a Rising, buy why we had a Rising”, he said.
Sinn Féin consider the proclamation to not yet have been lived up to.
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