Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will speak to amendment No. 21. I will not move amendment No. 22.

Amendment No. 21 states:

In page 16, lines 21 to 32, to delete all words from and including "important" in line 21 down to and including line 32 and substitute the following: "significant burial sites, the Government shall make every effort to thoroughly examine and make interventions using the full resources and powers of the Director.".

This amendment seeks to expand the remit under which the director can make an intervention at a burial site. The existing section 8(3) places unnecessary restrictions on the director and could preclude an effective investigation or excavation of specific sites. The provision could foreseeably impact the dig in Tuam and have the result that some and not all of the site is excavated.

I wonder whether this is dealt with to some degree in the earlier amendment on a 10 m versus 20 m distance. I know I am not supposed to ask that question but I am just wondering. If I could get clarity on the matter, I will withdraw the amendment. Maybe it is not addressed in the earlier amendment.

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