Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on the Bill on behalf of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party and I thank Deputy Brophy for his efforts in bringing this Bill forward. While in government, Fianna Fáil took a number of important steps to commemorate and honour Ireland’s history, including the Great Famine, which was one of Ireland’s most significant tragedies. This Bill comes at a fitting moment in Irish history. Beginning in 1845 with the failure of the potato crop, the Famine lasted for six years and resulted in the loss of 1.1 million lives. Taking into account the 2 million people who emigrated during the Famine, the population of Ireland declined by approximately one third as a result of the Famine.

In the years preceding the Famine, the collapse of Irish manufacturing and sharp increases in our population gave rise to an intense fracturing of Irish agricultural holdings. By 1841, 45% of agricultural holdings in Ireland were under five acres. As the size of the average agricultural holding dwindled, so too did the diversity of the average Irish peasant’s diet. Peasants who had previously supplemented their staple diet of potatoes with herrings, milk and meat were increasingly reliant on potatoes alone for their sustenance. Potatoes were a remarkably high-yield crop. A single acre of potato ground could produce up to 6 tonnes of food, which was enough to maintain a family of six for an entire year. The peasants’ reliance on potatoes came with significant risk. While Ireland had initially rejoiced in its apparent escape from the terrible blight that had swept through much of Europe and England, by late 1845, Irish newspapers were beginning to report fears that it had reached Irish shores. With the late harvest, the main potato crop was taken out of the ground in October 1845 and the people’s worst fears were confirmed. Historian John Kelly describes how the "men wept openly as half-ruined potatoes were lifted from the ground" and "shovels dropped and laborers soaked through to the skin with rain filed out of the fields like mourners." The speed with which the blight had spread astounded farmers and scientists alike. Even seemingly healthy potatoes could quickly decay in storage, further impeding Ireland’s food supply.

By late 1845, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom had initiated a poverty relief programme in Ireland. Corn maize was to be imported here, distributed to local relief committees and then sold to peasants at cost price. Public work schemes would allow peasants to earn the cash wages needed to purchase corn maize. This model of relief would not only provide minimum poverty alleviation, but it was also hoped that it would modernise Ireland. This plan hinged on a number of faulty assumptions about the nature of Ireland’s history and infrastructure. In the first instance, the success of the aid plan depended on the willingness of Ireland’s noble classes to administer and support it. Unfortunately, Ireland’s landlords were rather indifferent to the suffering of the peasants around them and, in some cases, viewed the widespread eviction and perishing as furthering their own interests. Second, the plan relied on a modern distribution and logistical infrastructure which was unfortunately absent from Ireland. This was an unfortunate pattern which was to continue throughout the Great Famine and one which the British Government was unwilling to amend, for a variety of reasons, to better address the specific Irish context.

The lessons we learn from the Famine ought to guide us in our understanding of the Bill.

At its heart, commemoration is the process through which we remind ourselves of the events and people who have gone before us. It is the recognition of the links which bind our past and our present. As we reflect on our history of the Famine, it is imperative that we reflect too on the present reality of famine across the globe. While Ireland has had the great fortune of avoiding such widespread starvation since the 19th century, other nations have not. Perhaps as a result of our experience, Ireland has a rich history of giving to those most in need. Commemorating the Famine is a moral obligation. We must mark the dead and why they suffered. We must remember the cold indifference of the removed Government which overlooked the deprivation of the people under its charge. More than a day in the year, it must be an enduring lesson, a lesson that should colour our policies and drive on our commitment to those who find themselves in the same desolation in which this island was once cast. I hope this Bill is read in that light and helps to serve as a testament to that legacy.

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