Fianna Fáil has raised a red flag over the Irish government’s failure to invite Opposition TDs to the launch of a major initiative to mark the start of the 1916 centenary commemorations.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny this week attended an event at his former primary school to launch the Flags for Schools initiative, which will see over 3,300 schools across the Republic receive a tricolour flag and a copy of the 1916 Proclamation over the coming months.
On Monday, St Patrick’s National School in Islandeady, Co Mayo, became the first school to be presented with its flag by members of the Defence Forces.
Mr Kenny was accompanied to the event by the state’s heritage minister and Fine Gael TD Heather Humphreys as well as education minister and Labour deputy Jan O’Sullivan.
Schools and institutes are also to be asked to mark Proclamation Day on March 15 2016 by presenting projects to their local community.
However, Fianna Fáil arts spokesman Seán Ó Fearghaíl has called on the taoiseach to explain why Opposition arts spokespeople and local TDs were not invited to the launch.
“The government has repeatedly assured the public that they will not seek to hijack the national commemorations of the 1916 Rising for narrow party political advantage. The decision to launch this national event, developed for our school children, with only government representatives present, raises a serious question mark over this commitment,” he said.
Mr Ó Fearghaíl said his party had made it clear that it fully supported any initiative that that encouraged a “greater and positive sense of ownership of our national flag”. “The 1916 Rising does not belong to any party or any sectional interest. It belongs to the entire Irish nation,” he added.
