John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful. I presume the impetus for that came from the Minister. It is 15 years later. Key figures from NGOs and other organisations are often involved. A constituent of mine, Mr. Michael Blanch, has been a strong advocate of famine commemoration. He will be delighted to hear that the plaque will finally be placed in the Custom House. A plaque is installed to mark the site of the commemoration each year. He also made the point to me that responsibility for all national commemorative days and events is located in the Department of the Taoiseach and he wonders why responsibility for famine commemoration is not located there. A criticism from people involved in the famine piece is that two months' advance notice of where the event will be held is not adequate. The optimum would be that six months to a year advance notice of where in each province it will be held would be appropriate. Perhaps the Minister can answer that. I am grateful for a conclusion to the issue of the plaque.

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