Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 28 November 2018

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion

1:30 pm

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

I did not actually say that. Apart from Senator Warfield's choice of words, I did not say anything in that regard. He asked if I was in favour of having a public holiday and I indicated, for the reasons stated, that I was not and that it would be more appropriate to have a commemoration day.

In response to his second question on the title, while an Gorta Mór is correct, I do not think there is a problem in using both languages. We want to make the commemoration an international day. I do not want to get bogged down, as happens with legislation sometimes, unfortunately. I want a simple, straightforward Bill that puts something in place that people have sought for a very long time. At the heart of it is to lock the date for commemorative purposes each year. I am very open to working on Committee Stage to facilitate all the other aspects of the issue and to be as inclusive as possible, taking into account people's experience in organising commemorative events in previous years and the practicalities such as whether to have a military aspect or an interfaith service.

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