Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I see great value in the fact that this legislation establishes an agency that will have evolving powers and that will have a specialist focus that is bespoke for the particular requirements relating to institutional burials. I think there is great value in having that distinct and separate from the coroner. However, I accept the points from earlier today that we need to look at the powers within that agency.

Heads 31 and 32 of the Bill provide for a cessation of the actions of the agency on the ground and refer to the Garda Síochána. There is scope, that can perhaps be emboldened and enhanced, to trigger criminal investigation and the involvement of the gardaí and have that external agency.

That has been missed in the commentary that has been put forward during this session.

I am curious about one issue. I have had the experience of conducting and being involved in a development where human remains were uncovered unexpectedly on a large scale. In that case we had on site particular forensic archaeologists. A team came in for six months to work and to establish age and so on in respect of the remains, which went back a couple of centuries in some instances. As for this agency, what people and particular professions should be on the ground? I would like to explore with Mr. Harte the role of forensic archaeologists in that context.