Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The project under reference is intended to recover and respectfully reinter the remains of all persons executed in Mountjoy Prison since the foundation of the State.

At present my officials are tendering for the necessary works, and these works will be subject to the grant of an exhumation license by Dublin City Council. It is a condition of applying for such a license that the exhumation be publicly advertised, and in anticipation of that requirement and possible public interest, my Department has put in place a dedicated email address for interested parties to contact the Department. This email address is mountjoyexhumations@justice.ie.

My Department has put in place measures to support identification of all such remains where possible. Due to the circumstances of the original burials, it is impossible to guarantee that all remains can be recovered or definitively identified. Arrangements are in place for support to identification from Forensic Science Ireland where DNA can be extracted from remains recovered.

I can confirm that the remains of the person whose details were provided are included in the overall project, although recovery and identification is subject to the uncertainty noted above.

My Department welcomes any contact by concerned families and my officials will engage with them to establish what can be done to identify specific individuals.