1252. Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a Departmental scholarship (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31214/15]

My Department has just sent copies of its 2016 commemorative programme in a Circular to all schools. The Circular details a wide range of initiatives designed to appropriately commemorate and reflect upon the 1916 rising and its leaders. My Department has a range of over twenty initiatives, competitions, awards and resource-development projects in train, all of which are detailed in the Circular. I will be launching the Department's 2016 programme on September 22nd next, with the Minister for Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys.

We plan to award prizes to honour the seven signatories of the 1916 Proclamation. These prizes will be awarded to the seven top-performing students in Junior Certificate History in 2016. Another initiative is the All-Island schools Decade of Centenaries history competition, which will be an annual event up to 2022.