Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have one observation on foot of an email I received this morning during our proceedings. It concerns sites around the country currently managed perhaps by religious orders that had ties to institutions and homes. There may be burial sites on their premises and grounds. As part of the human rights remit and powers of the proposed agency in respect of this process, perhaps we should ensure that the agency or local government has power in respect of addressing planning applications submitted for a site associated with a former home or where there is a mandatory obligation to carry out a geophysical survey or something along those lines.

It was well articulated this morning that there is a deficit of information in some instances in this regard. As information comes forward, however, we should ensure that a mechanism or system is in place, in the context of future actions or choices of the agency, that will be able to gather the requisite information as the site is to be interfered with in the future. That is something we must consider. I just wanted to raise that issue. I think it is a valid point and it was forwarded to me by someone with whom I am in regular contact.