Military event 'best option' to mark 1916

An annual military commemoration of the 1916 Rising is Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's preferred option to mark the anniversary, he told the Dáil.

Mr Ahern confirmed to Labour leader Pat Rabbitte that there would be no major alternative to the military parade, but he said the annual parade would be much smaller than this year's 90th anniversary commemoration.

That "would not be sustainable for every anniversary of Easter week. Nonetheless, there should be a commemorative event each year."

Mr Rabbitte said he understood the Government would organise a non-military commemoration next year. The decision might be subject to consultation with other parties, but Mr Rabbitte pointed out that the all-party Oireachtas committee on commemorations had only met once, at Easter.

He also asked if the Government would commemorate the anniversary of the first Dáil and about the progress on commemorations of the Great Famine. Mr Ahern said the all-party committee would discuss the commemorations including that of the first Dáil, and that the options for the Famine commemoration varied from a national holiday to a day of remembrance.

The Taoiseach said there was a great pressure for commemorations, including the 400th anniversary of the flight of the Earls.

There was "passionate interest in these by groups which make tremendous presentations to me", Mr Ahern said. "Every year I find myself giving bad news to 10 or 15 organisations and we pick very few. That is the hard reality."