Taoiseach Bertie Ahern expressed doubts about having a national day of commemoration to mark the Famine.
"I am not sure how that could be done. Perhaps it could be linked to other occasions," said Mr Ahern. "Every year a large number of groups make passionate cases for national days for certain events."
The suggestion was made by Labour leader Pat Rabbitte, who asked if the Government intended allocating funding to commemorate the Famine and its victims. "Some rewriting of history is taking place at the moment, but we are all agreed on the impact of the Famine on the psyche of the Irish people."
Mr Rabbitte said that along with the Famine, the most significant events in Irish history were the land wars and the part played by the leadership of the Land League in the events associated with them, particularly Michael Davitt, the centenary of whose death was this year.
Mr Ahern said that for a number of years up to the 150th anniversary of the Famine most of his department's commemorative initiatives were dedicated to Famine-related projects. They had received a large part of what was a small allocation of commemorative funds.
"It was decided 20 years ago that the way to deal with all these days, and get over all the difficulties, was to have a national day of celebration and commemoration, which is on July 9th this year.
"I have been reluctant to get into designating days here, there and everywhere. Apart from the Famine, one could equally make a case for commemorating Michael Davitt and every year a number of such cases arise."
Mr Rabbitte said he was not trying to restrict the Taoiseach to specifying precisely how the Famine victims might be commemorated - the essence of the case being made by the commemoration committee was correct.
"At a time of transformation in the country's fortunes and unprecedented prosperity, it would be appropriate for this State to commemorate the cataclysmic impact the Famine had on the Irish people in the 19th century," Mr Rabbitte said.
Mr Ahern said he had received submissions and his department was examining them.
