Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

I am glad the Taoiseach could clarify the situation. It was understood from the correspondence he was agreeable to a Famine memorial day and I have been informed that it is likely to be on 29 May. Is there a need to write directly to this group if it is embarking on organising a memorial day, supposedly with the Taoiseach's goodwill? Should there not be some clarity and discussion of what the Taoiseach meant when he made known his views on the matter previously? Does he accept that it is inappropriate to put such a huge traumatic event in Irish history, when more than 1 million people died and another 1 million left the country, on the same level as other tragedies of much smaller scale in terms of the human impact? Should we not recognise this as an event of enormous significance worldwide both for people of Irish descent and for people who are suffering through famines at present and as a reminder that there are lessons to be learned? I hope we have learned those lessons.

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