From the site you posted, Dr. Bill:

However, Peel's attempts to improve the situation in Ireland was severely damaged by the 1845 potato blight. The Irish crop failed, therefore depriving the people of their staple food. Peel was informed that three million poor people in Ireland who had previously lived on potatoes would require cheap imported corn. Peel realised that they only way to avert starvation was to remove the duties on imported corn. Although the Corn Laws were repealed in 1846, the policy split the Conservative Party and Peel was forced to resign.

From The Victorian Web takes another view: http://www.victorianweb.org/history/famine.html

The Irish crisis was used as an excuse by Peel in order for him to the repeal the Corn Laws in 1846, but their removal brought Ireland little benefit. The major problem was not that there was no food in Ireland -- there was plenty of wheat, meat and dairy produce, much of which was being exported to England -- but that the Irish peasants had no money with which to buy the food. The repeal of the Corn Laws had no effect on Ireland because however cheap grain was, without money the Irish peasants could not buy it.

The Victorian Web's section on Sir Robert Peel:

http://www.victorianweb.org/history/pms/peel/peelov.html

Bingley

Bingley