Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

-----but there are many families who genuinely do not know if they are related to one of these babies. I have been talking to my Dáil assistant, Mr. Luke Silke, who has also been in contact with the Minister's office. Mr. Silke comes from Tuam, and he thinks we would have a much better chance of successfully identifying the babies' remains if the invitation to provide DNA samples was extended everyone in the area and not just to those who already know or suspect that they have relations there.

Outside of the 800 babies who died in the home, I have found burial records for 11 unidentified babies who died in Tuam between 1885 and 1939. I want to make sure that these babies are also mentioned here in this debate today. Seven of them died in the workhouse in Tuam, three of them were shockingly found discarded and one record refers to an "unknown infant who died in May 1936 and was found near the Tuam train station".

Before the mother and baby home opened in Tuam in 1925, for three years a mother and baby home operated in Glenamaddy. It was operated by the same organisation. Aontú has found records for more than 50 babies who died in that home between 1922 and 1925. The commission of investigation stated in its report that it regarded the Tuam and Glenamaddy institutions as one and the same. Therefore, we should be talking about 850 babies, not 800. Nobody seems to know where those 50-plus babies who died in Glenamaddy are buried. This is something the Government must also look into. I want to mention Kate Lynskey and Christopher King in particular who died 100 years ago this month in the Glenamaddy mother and baby home. Kate was ten months old and died of pneumonia on 12 March 1922. Christopher was a year old when he died from congestion of the lungs on 29 March 1922.

After the exhumation has taken place in Tuam, we need a memorial garden. We need a place where all names of these babies are gathered together to ensure that none of them will be forgotten.

Aontú is calling for the expansion of participation - to allow anyone in Tuam who wants to find out if he or she is related to anyone at the site to come forward and provide DNA. I agree with the provisions for mothers to object to more distant relatives receiving information. That is a good provision. Notwithstanding this, we need to allow an open invitation to everyone to come forward. Otherwise, we will run into serious difficulty and see a situation where maybe up to half of those babies remains will simply not be identified by this scheme.

I also want to pay tribute to Sheila. I am sure many people will know Sheila. She is outside the Dáil again today. She cycled through the rain to get here. Sheila will never give up in her campaign for justice and I hope that the other Deputies will engage with her as they pass through the gates of Leinster House at Kildare Street.

Is ábhar uafásach deacair é seo agus ábhar truamhéalach gan dabht. Tá cúpla fadhbanna fós leis an mBille seo. Ba cheart go mbeadh sé leathnaithe amach go dtí go mbeidh gach duine atá ina gcónaí i dTuaim ag an mbomaite seo in ann a ainm a chur isteach le haghaidh teastais DNA a fháil.

Tá contúirt ollmhór ann mura ndéanfadh an Rialtas é seo mar nach mbeimid in ann aitheantas a chur ar gach uile pháiste reilig atá ansin anois. B’fhéidir go mbeidh suas go dtí leath an 800 páistí méid páiste gan aitheantas a bheith acu nuair a bheidh an jab seo déanta. Bheadh sé sin uafásach má tharlaíonn sé sin. Ní fheicim go bhfuil plean ag an Rialtas déileáil leis na páistí sin, páistí gan aitheantas. Caithfimid éisteacht leis na survivors atá tar éis teacht amach agus a scéalta a insint dúinne ach ba chóir go mbeadh ról ag Comhairle Contae na Gaillimhe, an t-údarás a bhí i mbun an bhaile sin fadó, agus go mbeadh an chomhairle sásta reilig le meas a chur ar fáil do na páistí nach bhfuil aitheantas acu.

Tá an Bille seo casta. Cuireann sé mearbhall ar dhaoine mar gheall ar mhamó agus daideo agus mar gheall ar pháistí grandchildren, agus araile, agus ba cheart go mbeimid in ann é seo a phlé níos mó. B’fhéidir go bhfuilim mícheart mar gheall ar an aitheantas agus ar an tuiscint atá agamsa ar an mBille agus ba mhaith liom éisteacht leis an Aire le go mbeidh sé in ann níos mó eolais a thabhairt dúinne faoi sin. Míle buíochas a Chathaoirligh Gníomhaigh.

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