Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 May 2023
30. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will consider the request by an organisation (details supplied) that both the national and international An Gorta Mór Day be held on the same day to unite Irish people at home with Ireland's global Irish family overseas in commemoration of this event. [12877/23]
View answerThe National Famine Commemoration Committee, established in 2008, is charged with considering arrangements for the National Famine Commemoration Day.
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.
This year's National Famine Commemoration will take place on Sunday 21 May 2023 in Milford, Co. Donegal. The annual National Famine Commemoration provides an opportunity for a host community to honour the memory of those who perished or suffered loss during the famine.
The International Famine Commemoration provides diaspora communities the opportunity to remember and reflect on the impact of the famine and the emigration that followed in its wake, and also celebrate the achievements of those who fled Ireland and set up new lives and established thriving communities across the globe.
Proposals are currently being developed by officials of my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs in relation to the 2023 International Famine Commemoration.
There are currently no plans to have the National and International Famine Commemorations on the same day. Any such proposal would need to be carefully considered, so as not to unintentionally restrict options for an appropriate International Famine Commemoration event. It is important that the International Famine Commemoration date is flexible so that it can best suit particular opportunities to commemorate the Famine with meaningful and poignant international events that may not fully align with the date for the National Commemoration. This flexibility has allowed the alignment of the International Famine Commemoration event with significant International events in the past.
