Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

As the Deputy noted, there have been many representations on this issue. As I stated in 2005 and many times since, it has been the practice that the principal events in our national history are marked by official commemorations on their significant anniversaries. However, because of our long history, it has not been the practice to organise official commemorations annually of the many people and events worthy of such commemoration. When the issue of a national day of commemoration was discussed at great length 20 years ago, the July date was used to bring them together. There has been much debate in this regard and the committee which has been working on this memorial has cited the example of Holocaust day among others. However, they are not official events. While the Taoiseach, Ministers and senior politicians might attend and participate, they are organised by representative committees which reflect the communities which suffered during such terrible events and there are many such days. I note that in the correspondence forwarded to me by Members they are being classified by the organising committee as being national or official days. However, they have nothing to do with the State.

As for the Famine event, many thought it should be examined. We held events to commemorate the 150th anniversary which were significant and a lot of effort was put into them. Through the Office of Public Works the State was involved in the commemoration in New York and the State provided €500,000 to this year's commemoration in Toronto. We will also link in to the day of commemoration by having a reception.

As Deputy Sargent stated, there is a great deal of support for a commemoration. I asked officials to see how we could commemorate it through a national day, based on the three points I made, how we would best do so and in what circumstances we could do so. I am happy we should do it for reasons of links with the diaspora and continuing issues of hunger and food security in the world. We will consider how to best do it and on what date — it seems 27 May would be the annual date.

I repeat what I stated before — it is never a popular thing to say — every year, the number of anniversaries, commemorations and groups throughout the country which would like the State to be affiliated with has no end. Letters in my name go out every year stating we cannot do something and that raises a head of steam.

This year, the official commemoration programme is looking at the 400th anniversary of the flight of the earls, their story in Ireland at a time of change and their progress in Europe. We will commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Irish college in Louvain where the earls found their initial refuge and the 350th anniversary of the death of Luke Wadding, the Franciscan scholar. This year will also mark two issues related to Daniel O'Connell. It is the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade with which he was closely associated and on which he made his name internationally. It is also the 160th anniversary of his death.

We were able to put resources into the first two matters. If we were to commemorate everything every year what we would do for each would become meaningless so I attempted to hold the line. We have a great history, but the number of groups and committees would be endless if the State linked itself to all of them. It is not a popular line to take because one gets into the thick of all of them. If we went with everything we would have 20 or 30 commemorations every year with very limited resources. I allowed the committee to pick what it believed were the most significant.

We will consider a national day of commemoration for the Famine, which seems to be linked to 27 May. I asked the committee dealing with commemorations to see how we could do that in a meaningful way. Only a very small amount of money, amounting to a few hundred thousand euro, is provided every year to do something like what we did at the UN, and it is fitting for the country to have such a prime site for the Famine commemoration as the grounds of the UN building. The Toronto commemoration will also be on a prominent site.

We will try to work out a way to do this. I want to do so on the basis that we should continue to resist the endless commemorations people want on an annual basis.

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