Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I actually walked that site with some survivors a number of years ago. Their main concern was that the site they feel makes up the burial grounds - as the Deputy will know, the site at Bessborough is very large - should not be used for housing. If I am right, a previous application was rejected. The planning aspect is obviously an operational issue for the council but we will certainly continue to engage with the survivors regarding their needs, their perspective and their objectives. At that stage, they were not focused on excavation or anything like that, although they wanted the site preserved for memorialisation.

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