Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for being here. I thank the Minister most sincerely for all of the work that he has done in relation to this matter. As the Minister has said the situation uncovered in Tuam is absolutely horrifying. It has shocked people right across the world. The Minister is right when he says that it is a stain on our national conscience. In the past the Minister has said that he would address this situation as urgently and as quickly as possible. Now that the necessary legislation is in place it is good that we have this motion before the House today.

Of course, when we talk about Tuam we must pay tribute to Catherine Corless and her incredible work and tireless research. When Ms Corless heard local stories about the graveyard and the grotto, she heard about children finding bones. Ms Corless was very suspicious. She was also cautious and nervous because people were not comfortable talking about this. There was a huge silence. As we know, Ms Corless started to research the maps of the home and the grounds. People had originally thought that there was a crypt there but as we know now the map showed that, sadly, it was a sewage tank. Nobody wanted to know but Catherine became more determined, more focused, more upset and more angry. She was more determined to absolutely get to the bottom of this. It was she who discovered that 796 babies had died. We cannot say they were buried there but their remains were put there. Catherine Corless really has done an incredible service to those 796 babies, their families, the people of Tuam and all of us. We must thank her for that.

Fianna Fáil absolutely supports the motion that the Minister has introduced. It is very important that an intervention is proposed under the motion and the Institutional Burials Act 2022 at the site of the former mother and baby institution at Tuam to comprise a full forensic standard excavation, recovery, post-recovery analysis and, importantly, reinterment of the remains discovered at this sad site. It is also proposed that this intervention would include an identification programme as provided for under Part 4. This will involve the director overseeing a programme of DNA identification to establish the likelihood that there is a familial link between people who believe they have family members buried at a site and funeral remains that are recovered from that site. This will bring great peace and solace to many who feel that they may have family members buried there.

It is very clear that the remains discovered at the site of the former mother and baby institution in Tuam satisfy all of the conditions for the making of a Government order as set out under sections 7 and 8 of the Institutional Burials Act. These criteria are satisfied because there is significant evidence of manifestly inappropriate burials at the Tuam site. This is confirmed by the commission of investigation into mother and baby homes in March 2017. Judge Yvonne Murphy has given incredible service on that commission.

We all know the background to the Institutional Burials Act and the background with regard to Tuam. As we know, there has been significant evidence of the inappropriate burials at the Tuam site. This was confirmed by the commission of investigation and further elaborated on its fifth interim report, as well in the expert technical group report. It had been proven that the 20-chamber structure in which the juvenile remains were located was built within a decommissioned wastewater treatment tank. It most certainly was not a purpose-built burial chamber. Soil analysis suggests that it was also used in treatment of wastewater. The remains are uncoffined, and buried collectively and in a manner and location that is absolutely repugnant to common decency. It would have been so considered at the time the burials took place. There is no doubt that the burial site did not provide for the dignified interment of human remains.

Proposals for excavation, recovery, analysis, identification and reinterment are clearly appropriate and respectful. The site of the proposed intervention, which is the principal burial land, is owned by Galway County Council. The works that need to happen on this land would not extend within the curtilage of any dwelling. I am aware that there are some houses bordering the site and it is possible that burials may extend beyond the main site, but this legislation allows the director to carry out works within 2 m of the site boundary. With regard to the dignity of persons buried within the land this excavation, recovery and reinterment in an appropriate burial site will provide dignity to the children interred there.

I am very pleased the Minister has met with relatives of people buried at the site. It is clear there is very strong support for what the Minister is proposing here. There is also very strong support for the DNA-based programme to identify remains where possible. Everything the Minister has put in front of us is welcome. It is sad that we are in a situation where we must deal with something such as this but I commend the work the Minister and his officials have done and I really hope this will bring some peace, comfort and solace to the families of those involved, and to the people of Tuam.