Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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873. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has engaged with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to ensure that the National Famine Memorial Day commemoration stone will finally be placed at the Custom House in Dublin 1. [6819/16]

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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874. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to support the proposal to place the An Gorta Mór memorial in Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin 9 and to consider the design plan as proposed by the Committee for the Commemoration of Irish Famine Victims which will include the 32 counties of Ireland. [6820/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 873 and 874 together.

There are memorials to the victims of the Famine in various locations in Ireland and abroad.A number of these, such as the National Famine Memorial in Murrisk, Co. Mayo, and that standing outside the United Nations building in New York, were commissioned and funded by the State. Other memorials are the product of philanthropic or local community effort and reflect the significance of the Famine for the philanthropists and communities concerned. The permanent memorials established at the site of annual commemoration ceremonies receive State funding and I had the honour of unveiling such memorials in Warrenpoint, Co. Down and in New Brunswick, Canada last year.

In relation to the Custom House, the intention to hold an annual National Famine Commemoration was announced by the then Minister of State for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs at an informal ceremony held in the Custom House in 2008. The possibility of placing a memorial stone within the grounds of the Custom House was considered recently but as the Custom House is beside the existing "Famine" sculpture on Custom House Quay, a philanthropic donation to the State which has grown in significance since its installation, it is considered that the iconic sculpture on Custom House Quay should continue to be the focal point in the area for those wishing to pay their respects to the victims of the Famine.

Matters relating to the State commemoration of the Great Famine are dealt with through the National Famine Commemoration Committee, of which I am chair. There are currently no proposals before the Committee for the commissioning of further famine memorials other than in the context of the National and International Commemoration events.