Opening the Shoah in Europe exhibition in Dublin, Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter highlighted "an inconvenient truth that those who chose to do and say nothing during this unprecedented period in European history include this state".

Mr Shatter said that, "when viewing this exhibition, no one should assume that what happened in the past cannot be repeated in the future".

He praised the work of the Irish Holocaust Educational Trust and commended the Crocus Project, encouraging pupils to plant yellow crocus bulbs in memory of the 1.5 million Jewish children and thousands of other children who died in the Shoah.

"I know there are teachers here this evening and I would like to acknowledge their contribution to teaching our children about the Holocaust, the dangers of racism and the importance of respect, equality and integration."