Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The commemoration this year is being arranged for 27 May. The State is not officially associated with it as an official annual event, as is being requested. We are assisting by having an official reception around the commemoration event. I have asked the committee of people involved in the commemoration to consider whether we should have a national day under three criteria.

First, we should have an appropriate time and location for a commemorative event and 27 May has been designated by the people involved. Second, we should look at the nature of the commemoration, which should reflect the terrible loss of life. Third, we should consider the links to the diaspora and the continuing issues of hunger and food security. If we can put together a commemorative day that would embrace all the issues, which we have been asked to do, we could have a national day and I would support it.

I made a point about other commemoration days. The letters I have been receiving from Deputies have been indicating that the Holocaust memorial days, among others, were national days. My point was that none of these days, organised by large national committees, county associations or other powerful committees with many people on them, is a national day. There are committees far greater than the group behind the Famine day. It is a good idea but others represent thousands of people who would like commemoration days, and we cannot accommodate them all.

The Great Famine is of course an enormous issue but it does not take away from the many others. I checked this and approximately 39 different groups have a significant belief they should have a national day. We cannot have that range of days. I will support the Great Famine commemoration day and I have asked officials to draw up the outline of a commemoration. To show our support this year we will provide a reception around the event, which I know is considered helpful to the organisers.

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