Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 14, inclusive, together.

I received correspondence last year and again recently from the committee for the commemoration of the Irish Famine victims. An interdepartmental committee to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Great Famine and the bicentenary of the 1798 rebellion was established by the Government in 1994. Significant public funding was made available for a number of worthwhile projects of major importance and permanent significance including the national memorial at Croagh Patrick and the restoration of Famine graveyards. The committee disbanded after successfully fulfilling its task.

These commemorations were the first of their kind since those tragic times and I have no doubt they will be commemorated again at appropriate future anniversaries. I do not however propose to designate an annual national day to commemorate the Famine. My Department has not received any application for funding for any Famine commemoration project this year. The last application received for such a project was in 2000 for a Famine memorial in Scotland and funding of €6,000 was provided. Funding of €25,000 was provided in 1999 for a Famine memorial in Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney.

An amount of €65,000 was allocated under subhead E of my Department's Estimates this year to support commemorative projects. This funding is available to assist individuals or groups in organising the commemoration of individuals or events of historic importance. My Department has not yet received any applications for the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the Flight of the Earls in 2007. I am aware that community groups are now beginning to make plans for the commemoration of this important historical event and I expect that my Department will receive applications for funding in due course.

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