Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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As outlined in my previous reply to the Deputy on 30 March 2023, consultation with survivors and relative groups was an important part of the development of the Institutional Burials Act 2022. After taking Office, I visited the site of the former Mother and Baby Institution in Tuam, Co. Galway, and met with survivors and relatives of those who died while resident there. I carefully considered the issues raised by them in the development of the legislation, which provides the underlying legal basis for an intervention, whereby the remains of those who died in residential institutions, and who were buried in a manifestly inappropriate manner, may be recovered and re-interred in a respectful and appropriate way.

Last October the Government made an order under the legislation to direct the establishment of an independent office to manage the intervention at the Tuam site and, on 20 March this year, I formally established the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam. Last week I announced the appointment of Daniel Mac Sweeney as the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam who now heads up the independent Office.

Progress at the various stages has been communicated to survivors and any other stakeholders who have expressed an interest in receiving updates on these issues from my Department through our dedicated mailing list. I know that an early priority for the newly appointed Director is to engage with survivors and former residents.

I have also engaged with groups associated with other former institutions and I am aware of concerns in relation to the appropriate treatment of sites, as well as calls for investigations.

As noted in my previous reply, on foot of the Government’s Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, last November the Minister for Housing Local Government and Heritage wrote to all City and County Councils requesting that Development Plan processes give adequate consideration to incorporating appropriate measures to ensure the protection of unrecorded burial sites associated with an institution.

In relation to the former institution in Bessborough, the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters concluded that it is likely that some of the children who died while resident there are buried in the grounds but, following extensive efforts, it was unable to find any physical or documentary evidence of this. As no evidence of burial locations was found, the Commission did not consider it feasible to excavate the full available site, which amounts to 60 acres.

I have publicly emphasised my view that any proposed development at the Bessborough site should have due regard to the Commission's reports and give adequate consideration to the views of all survivors and family members, including requests for appropriate access and respectful memorialisation in due course.