613. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the relatives of those who fought in the 1916 Rising will be invited to official ceremonies to mark the commemoration of the Rising; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41736/15]

I can assure the Deputy that, together with my own officials and officials across other relevant Government Departments, I am working closely with the relatives of those who took part in the events of 1916, including in particular the 1916 Relatives Association, to ensure, inter alia, fair and balanced representation of relatives at official commemoration ceremonies during 2016. In this regard, it should be noted that the Department of Defence has established a register of relatives which will assist in identifying such representation.