Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman for the speedy manner in which he has brought this matter to the committee. I appreciate the opportunity to outline my simple proposal for a Bill which would put a fixed date in place for commemoration of the Famine. The proposals at the heart of the Bill are to have a commemoration day which would occur on the second Sunday of May, that the commemoration would include civil, military and ceremonial elements and an interfaith service and that there would be a central venue for commemoration which would be the designated by the Taoiseach or the Government. I am bringing this forward to put a definitive date into the calendar and to put a definitive structure around the commemoration. I appreciate and acknowledge in advance that in recent years, much work has been done by the national Famine commemoration committee and there have been some excellent events commemorating the Famine but we have had a situation over a period of time where we have had no real certainty as to the date. It has moved around the calendar from the earlier part of the year to the autumn. What has really driven me with this Bill is that for something that is so central to the history of our country, that is part of what makes us Irish and that had such an impact on creating the country and the island in which we live, we should treat it with the respect it deserves and part of that respect is to have that fixed date.

By having a fixed date, the Bill would enable the development of a much greater process around the commemoration. It would particularly enable our schools to work to the certainty of a date and to develop programmes that would bring in a greater educational involvement for children.

It is a simple Bill and a simple proposal. I recognise in advance from conversations I have had on it that there are certain aspects of it which, for logistical reasons, could be tightened up or amended and I am open to consideration of that.

I thank the Chairman.