Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has ruled out a national day to mark the Great Famine in case nobody turns up, it emerged tonight.
The collapse of the potato crop in 1845-1848 caused the death of one million Irish people and the emigration of one million others.
Mr Ahern told the Dáil today that such events could be honoured as part of the National Day of Commemoration, which already remembers Irish people who died in wars and on United Nations service.
He said: "As soon as you have a single day for anything, there will be 10 or 15 others who will make excellent arguments (for other historical events) backed up by eminent historians.
"There's nothing worse than organising commemorations and then nobody turns up. "It's almost disrespectful, and that has happened in the past."
The Taoiseach recalled "one important day when only eight people turned up to the church". Raising the issue in the Dail, Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said: "This is the most cataclysmic event in our history both in its impact on this island and on so many countries outside of here in an attempt to stay alive at the time.
"Given our distance from the event and our relative economic affluence, we ought to be prepared to commemorate that event in our history and it shouldn't be confused with other issues."
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny called for the issue to be revisited again by an all-party Oireachtas committee.