Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 293: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he has any plans to develop a permanent exhibition to the famine in the National History Museum of Ireland in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6391/12]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that, as Chair of the National Famine Commemoration Committee, I am responsible for ensuring on behalf of the Government that appropriate arrangements are in place to commemorate the Great Irish Famine with an annual memorial day. It has been agreed that this year's National Famine Commemoration will take place on Sunday, 13th May in Drogheda, County Louth. Full details of the work of the National Famine Commemoration Committee since 2008 in implementing a varied and diverse annual programme of events to coincide with the National Famine Commemoration are available on the National Famine Commemoration page of my Department's website at http://www.ahg.gov.ie/en/NationalFamineCommemoration2012/.

In relation to the reference to plans to develop a permanent exhibition dedicated to the Great Famine in the National Museum of Ireland, the Deputy should be aware that this is an operational matter for the Museum itself. However, the Deputy should note that the National Famine Commemoration Committee, of which the Director of the National Museum is a member, has previously considered the possibilities around exhibiting a collection dedicated to the Irish famine in the Museum. It has been given to understand that much of the evidence relating to the Great Famine is statistical and pictorial, and there are very limited artefacts that could be exhibited at the National Museum. In this regard, I am advised that there is insufficient material to support an exhibition of the type referred to by the Deputy.