Call for schools to be sent Tricolours

A Fianna Fáil deputy's call for a Tricolour and flagpole to be delivered to all primary schools to mark the 90th anniversary of the 1916 Rising has been rejected.

Tom McEllistrim (FF, Kerry North) called for a booklet on the national flag to be sent to each school along with the flag and flagpole.

"Children need to know their history, and the national flag is part of this history," he said, pointing out that the "European flag, a blue flag with gold stars, was given to each national school in Ireland, so why not our own national flag?"

Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan said there were "no plans to provide a Tricolour or flagpole to all schools. Rather, the focus will be on sending out educational materials."

Speaking for Minister for Education Mary Hanafin, she said "as the Taoiseach has said on several occasions, in our reflections on 1916 we will be sensitive also to other traditions that share this island. We want the 90th anniversary of the Rising to be seen in a broad and inclusive context."

She said a number of commemorative events were planned, including a military parade, a scholarship scheme and a special National Museum exhibition.

Asking that the flag be presented to each school principal "so that it can fly about primary schools countrywide", Mr McEllistrim said schools were State buildings and a local element could be added to the national day of commemoration by raising the flag. "We must retain our Irishness as well as embracing other cultures."

Ms Coughlan said: "The Taoiseach has said that he believes the only way to build a shared future is by understanding our shared past, not just the past of political leaders but of the ordinary men and women who shaped this island.

"To that end, commemorating 1916 is not intended to bolster a particular reading of history but rather to advance a greater understanding of the period as a whole."

She said the loss of Irish lives in the first World War was a part of our history that could not be ignored. "We must be conscious of the trauma caused by the Great War throughout the length and breadth of this island. In July we will commemorate the Irish who fell at the Somme 90 years ago."