The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr. Michael McDowell, T.D., today addressed the fourth Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration to be held in Ireland.

Speaking at the commemoration the Minister said, "I am honoured to be associated once again with the commemorations for Holocaust Memorial Day. In 2005 we remembered the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz; this year we remember the children of the Holocaust. As the years pass by and the few survivors of those horrors, who can tell the story first hand, pass on, it becomes more important than ever that we keep alive the shocking memory of the Holocaust and learn from its consequences."

The Minister welcomed the establishment of the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET), launched last year, with the specific remit to promote awareness of the Holocaust in order to learn lessons from that period in world history. The HET is responsible for bringing the Anne Frank exhibition to Ireland which is currently viewing in Dublin and which is sponsored by the National Action Plan on Racism.

The Minister welcomed the comments of Dr Gert Weisskirchen, Special Ambassador of the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe), who attended the event, and who congratulated the organizing committee. He commended the Irish Governments support of the event: "The event", he said, "and the work of the Holocaust Trust, are clear examples of what can be done to raise awareness regarding the Holocaust". He particularly commended the visible inclusion of all Holocaust victim groups, including Roma, disabled people and gay and lesbian people in the ceremony.

The Minister also expressed his satisfaction that an allocation of Euro 25,000 from the Government's budget for the National Action Plan Against Racism had been provided to the Holocaust Memorial Day.

In concluding remarks Minister McDowell recalled the Stockholm Declaration which gave rise to Holocaust Commemoration in Ireland and 40 other countries, "The Declaration described that time as a crisis for European civilisation and a universal catastrophe for humanity. It is our duty to ensure that we learn the lessons of that dark time and pass them on to each generation".

29 January 2006