Síle de Valera
Question:6 Miss de Valera asked the Taoiseach the plans, if any, he has in relation to commemorating the 150 anniversary of the great famine in 1995, not only in Dublin but also in the regions. [2115/95]
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Famine Commemoration.
Brendan Smith
Question:45 Mr. B. Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will provide funding to local authorities to enable them to carry out improvement and restoration works on former workhouses and burial grounds which survive in their original state in view of the commemoration of the Famine. [2445/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 45 together.
I have recently been appointed as chairperson of the interdepartmental committee on the commemoration of the famine and 1798. While I am not yet in a position to announce plans for commemorating the famine, I would hope to be in a position to do so in the near future. In the meantime, I can assure Deputy de Valera that there will be no question of confining commemorative activity to Dublin. I reassure Deputy Smith that, as I understand it, a number of local authorities are already planning for the kind of activities he refers to, from within their own resources.
I am conscious of the need for sensitivity in spending money to commemorate the 150th anniversary of our great famine while so many in the world today have to endure famine. I am sure Deputies will appreciate that I must be selective in deciding how and where money is to be spent and understand the reasons.
I am disappointed that the plans have not yet been finalised but at least it has been agreed in principle to commemorate the famine. As I am sure the Minister of State is aware, 1845 is not the only year in which there was a famine in Ireland; there were many famines both before and after that year. I appreciate that the Minister of State may not be in a position to answer this but is it her intention to ensure that the programme will cover the period up to 1997 in order to commemorate the great famine of 1847? While I understand that money cannot be made available for every project, the reference to famines around the world is an important one. We should also take this opportunity to heighten awareness of the difficulties and great hardship endured in such circumstances. Does the Minister of State intend to include our emigrants in commemorating the famines of the 1800s?
Two weeks ago I took over as chairperson of the interdepartmental committee from the Deputy's colleague, Deputy Tom Kitt, under whose chairmanship the committee was established in May 1994. The committee held a number of useful "think-ins" and representatives of the committee met with interested bodies such as the Irish Famine Network of Historians and the Famine Commemoration Committee in Tullamore. Because of the dissolution of the last Administration no specific Government plan was put in place. The Deputy will realise I could not be expected to do in two weeks what the last Government failed to do in seven or eight months although we have been working extremely hard on the matter.
Our emigrants will be involved and they are extremely interested. I have received a large volume of correspondence not only from people here who are interested in commemorating the great famine but from all corners of the world, particularly from America and Canada, including requests for funding, all of which will be dealt with. I have set up a commemoration office in the Department of the Taoiseach which will be staffed permanently for the next few years to handle requests relating to the commemoration of the famine and 1798 given the level of interest expressed both here and throughout the world.
Initially, in September we will commemorate the first outbreak of blight spotted in Fermanagh 150 years ago in September 1845. I hope also that there will be a North-South dimension. The details have yet to be worked out with the various groups who have made proposals I would then hope to concentrate the bulk of Government involvement in the Famine commemoration to a six month period between September this year and the end of 1997. It is not possible to keep famine commemoration at the top of the agenda and I do not think that is ideal or justifiable. Famine fatigue would set in and we might lose the dignity and sensitivity with which this issue needs to be handled. I fully agree with the Deputy that we should use the commemoration of the tragedy on our island 150 years ago to increase awareness on ongoing tragedies in other parts of the world.
The Minister spoke about sensitivities in commemorating our famine and ongoing tragedies in other disadvantaged areas of the world. I would draw to her attention another sensitivity which I see looming in the period we commemorate the famine. I am an historian but not a revisionist one and clearly the whole idea of the famine and the echoes it will invoke in the minds and hearts of Irish people are those of some bitterness towards the country which occupied us at that time. That may seem simplistic but to many people it is not. It is a fact of history not to be revised. We are living in delicate times with regard to relationships between this country and the United Kingdom and these issues, as well as the obvious one of sensitivity with regard to the famine here and famines elsewhere, could be dealt with by the new committee. One should not allow history to be revised but, at the same time, there is the need to put it in context.
Was that a question?
There is no need for the Minister of State, Deputy Doyle to be flippant. I did not have a question. Obviously the Opposition bench treats such issues in a flippant manner.
I do not like reminding the Deputy, but we are actually in Government.
The Minister is pathetic. I am putting it to her that it is a very sensitive issue and she is now the Minister for the Famine as well as Minister of State at five other Government Departments. Obviously the Minister of State's remit is so vast it would be difficult to trace her. Will the Minister accept the sensitive points I have put to her and will she put them to her committee?
I indicated at the outset that I intend to deal with the great famine commemoration with sensitivity and dignity. The maturity of this Government in dealing with the Anglo-Irish axis of the famine and the problems of that time will be reflected in the way we commemorate it. I have no difficulty — nor have our colleagues on the neighbouring island — in commemorating the famine honestly and recognising what happened at the time. The Deputy need not fear any revisionism in the way we do it.
Why is the Minister of State getting so uppity?
I realise the Minister has many duties but I ask her to concentrate on this particular project. We undertook some useful work, as the Minister has acknowledged, and it is appropriate that we combine commemoration of the famine with the 1798 anniversary. Because it is ideally located in the Taoiseach's Department would the Minister allow this committee to oversee the celebration of the millennium?
That is another job for the Minister of State, Deputy Doyle.
I am not suggesting that the Minister will still be in office——
I thank the Deputy for his confidence.
——but she may as well keep the momentum going until we get back into power.
I am getting confusing messages from the Opposition benches. One Deputy believes I have too much to do while another Deputy feels I should take on another job. I note the Deputy's comments about commemoration of the millennium and I will pass them on to the Taoiseach whose responsibility it is to appoint the necessarty committee——
This committee can do it.
——and/or persons responsible. I suggest that the commemoration office will probably handle communication. One of the reasons we have set up one room as an office is the volume of interest in the famine, at home and abroad, and in 1798. Interest in this is mainly concentrated at home but I know there will be more interest from abroad as we get closer to the anniversary. I suggest there will be a need for the Government to seriously consider the commemoration and celebration of the millennium and perhaps the commemoration office will be designated that role by the Taoiseach. I cannot assume that, however, until I am given the job.
Has the Minister of State any plans to meet the local authorities, some of whom have plans to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the famine? What assistance, if any, can she give to local authorities who have such plans, particularly in view of the fact that local authorities in the western region are having a difficult time at present?
There is already a tremendous amount of activity at local authority and parish level and at different group levels throughout the constituencies. I have no doubt that over the coming period there will be many worth while and imaginative local commemoration projects, even without special funding or assistance from the national committee. There may, however, be a case for providing some limited funding to encourage such activity and I am currently considering how best this can be achieved. There can be no question, however, of throwing money at the commemoration of the famine and I underline that point. It would be entirely inappropriate and I am sure the Deputy accepts that. Depending on whether we get good news this afternoon, I hope to have some limited funding and I will then consider how best to spend that——
Did the Minister not read the papers this morning?
——in aiding other local projects and in carefully selecting the national commemorative projects we have in mind.