President rejects idea celebrating Rising will cause unrest

The President has rejected the idea that celebrating the centenary of the Easter Rising could cause unrest.

A series of State ceremonial events will get underway in Dublin from today to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1916 rising.

More than 3,700 members of the defence forces and emergency services will take part in this year's Easter Sunday centenary parade.

Michael D Higgins says today's ceremony at the Garden of Remembrance is an important moment for victims' families.

President Higgins said: "I would regard it as amoral to actually say to somebody 'you must put it all behind you'.

"How can you if you have a member of your family in a wheelchair or somebody's lost a limb or a loved one has been murdered?"