John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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378. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when one year's minimum notice for the commemoration day for An Gorta Mór, both at home and abroad, will be inaugurated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12555/23]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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As recently announced this year's National Famine Commemoration will take place on Sunday 21 May 2023 in Milford, Co. Donegal. The Deputy will be aware, each year the National Famine Commemoration provides an opportunity for the host community to honour the memory of those who perished or suffered loss during the famine.

In 2018, the Government approved the designation of the third Sunday of May each year as the National Famine Commemoration Day, with the arrangements for the holding of the State commemoration on this day or the preceding Saturday, to be decided each year following consultation with the relevant local authority and host community.

While the National Famine Commemoration Committee, established in 2008, is charged with considering arrangements for the National Famine Commemoration Day, the Deputy will appreciate that in recent years public health considerations have had a major influence on the arrangements for the Commemoration, including the suspension of the international commemoration which was last held in Phoenix , USA in 2019.

I commend the continued work of the Committee and look forward to receiving their proposals in relation to future commemorations both at home and abroad in due course.