How much did the British government spend on relief during the Great Famine?

The British government spent approximately £8 million on relief efforts during the Great Famine.1

While this expenditure was intended to address the crisis, the government's overall response is widely regarded as inadequate. Rather than providing direct aid, the British administration largely relied on a laissez-faire approach, shifting much of the financial burden onto Irish landowners and absentee landowners. Assistance was primarily limited to loans, the funding of soup kitchens, and the creation of employment through public works projects, such as road building. These measures were often ineffective, and the government's continued policy of allowing the export of grain and other high-quality foods from Ireland to Britain during the famine significantly intensified Irish resentment toward British rule.1