I am advised by my Department that the process of selecting a location for the 2024 National Famine Commemoration is currently under way and details will be announced by my Department in due course.
Discussions are also ongoing between officials of this Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs in relation to the location of the 2024 International Famine Commemoration.
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. There is no such Government Decision in respect of the International Event.
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.
There are currently no plans to align the dates of the National and International Famine Commemorations. 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 that third Sunday (or preceding Saturday) in May.
I am conscious of the importance of providing sufficient notice to ensure that both the national and international famine commemorations provide maximum opportunities for Irish people at home and abroad, communities, schools and ambassadors, time to plan so that this important day can be marked appropriately and offer an opportunity for meaningful reflection. I will continue to work with officials in this regard, to ensure that such notice is provided, while at the same time ensuring there is sufficient flexibility to deliver a meaningful programme at home and abroad.
