Dr. Fergal Lynch:

The commission itself is an independent entity set up by the Oireachtas, and whose independence we absolutely respect.

We do not in any way interfere with its operation but the commission produced a report on burials. Its most recent report, the fifth interim, was on burials and included a comprehensive analysis of the information it had on hand. The commission encountered difficulty trying to identify individuals buried in individual sites, depending on the level of information and records, which go back 60 or 70 years and more. I am not trying to speak in any way for the commission but my understanding is that it tries to be as helpful as it can with the information it has. It will finalise its final report next February and will deal more with the issue of burials. My impression, although I do not speak for the commission, is that it would be anxious to give any information it can give at that stage. Most of its focus has been on burials, including trying to identify where exactly the sites are and how many people were buried there, and trying to match birth certificates with death certificates. Short of doing excavations, DNA analysis and so on, it cannot always confidently say who is buried where.