The Government will spend a massive €26m commemorating the 1916 Rising, but will reject proposals for corporate sponsorship of key state events. There will, however, be scope for businesses to link up with events around the country, the Sunday Independent has learned.

The first sod will be turned on the planned major redevelopment of the GPO within weeks. Arts and Culture Minister Heather Humphreys and Taoiseach Enda Kenny will outline an initial programme of events on Wednesday as they release the long-awaited draft framework for the troubled 1916 commemorations.

Failte Ireland director of marketing and development John Concannon, who is credited with the success of The Gathering tourism initiative, has been drafted in to co-ordinate, while the Taoiseach has also sent in his top official, the Secretary-General to the Government, Martin Fraser, to get “Project 1916” back on track.

The framework will empower local communities and other stakeholders, such as the arts and education sectors, to get involved in marking this major event in Irish history.

Minister Humphreys this weekend confirmed that the Government will this week outline how the first tranche of €4m allocated in the Budget will be spent next year. The Sunday Independent can also reveal that total spending on 2016 will be closer to €26m.

The minister also revealed that in addition to the €4m to be spent next year, a €22m capital plan for the Commemorations is already “well under way.”

This will include the renovation of Kilmainham Courthouse, and the building of a new interpretive centre at the GPO.

The Government plan is to build a permanent exhibit that could attract 300,000 visitors a year. “The first sod at the GPO will be turned in the coming weeks, and An Post say the visitor centre will be finished in plenty of time for the 2016 events,” Minister Humphreys said.

Responding to ongoing disquiet among the relatives of those who fought in 1916, the minister said she hoped to meet relatives’ groups in the coming weeks. “I am very keen to hear their views and to ensure they play a role in the events. The core objective is that the commemorations be inclusive, respectful and appropriate.”

The minister was broadly positive about proposals by Maurice Manning, the chairman of the Expert Advisory Group on 1916, that sponsorship of certain events should be considered. But Ms Humphreys said: “It would not be appropriate to have sponsorship of formal state events, but there could be positive opportunities to get local businesses on board.”

The minister cited the example set by Google’s partnership with Irish PhD students to update war records in October. “Two weeks ago I was in Belgium for a World War I commemoration, and I visited Flanders Museum, which is partnering with Google to update the war records there. It is hoped the project, which will involve Irish PhD students, will be able to establish just how many Irish men were killed in the First World War.’’

Ms Humphreys added: “I don’t think Google’s involvement with the project dilutes its importance or the credibility in any way.’’

Speaking about corporate sponsorship of the 1916 events she added: “There is no question of us compromising the importance or the significance of the events we are commemorating, but there are many people across the business world who would be interested in lending their support, or getting involved, with certain events in an appropriate way.”

The minister said her ambition was to replicate the success of The Gathering as run by her Cabinet colleague Leo Varadkar .

“Commemorations should be viewed as a positive opportunity for us to encourage members of the Irish Diaspora to come back to Ireland and take part. We saw how successful this was during the year of The Gathering, and I see no reason for us not to replicate that approach for 2016.”

Ms Humphreys said the artistic community would play a key role in the commemorations. “The arts have a way of reaching out to people and of making them feel connected to their past. We must recognise what we have achieved as a nation in the last 100 years and work to our future and define what kind of Ireland we want for the next 100 years,” she added.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has decided to play a more central role in the commemorations. He will attend the launch of an outline programme of planned events on Wednesday.

The decision to draft in Mr Concannon and Mr Fraser to spearhead the project came after members of the Cabinet privately expressed dissatisfaction with progress made so far. Last week, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin attacked the Government over its “tribal” approach to the 1916 commemorations. He accused the Coalition of snubbing Fianna Fail and the descendants of the 1916 leaders by hijacking the event for its own political ends.

Some relatives of the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation have claimed the Government is “hostile” to their plans to save Moore Street, where the 1916 leaders made their last stand before surrendering. Four Moore Street buildings, numbers 14-17, have been declared a national monument, but a shopping centre is set to go ahead on the street.

Online Editors