Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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In October 2022 the Government made an Order, under the Institutional Burials Act 2022, to direct the establishment of an independent Office to lead an intervention at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam, Co. Galway. The making of the Order followed on from Resolutions in the Dáil and Seanad in September 2022.

In March 2023 I formally established the Office of Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam and in May 2023 I appointed Mr Daniel MacSweeney as the Director to oversee the intervention. Mr MacSweeney’s appointment was made following an open recruitment process run by the Public Appointments Service.

I have also recently appointed members to the Advisory Board that will provide support and guidance to the Director in his role.

The Director is currently assessing the situation at the site before developing a plan for the excavation and recovery of remains. He has recently contracted a Forensic Programme Manager for the intervention and is working on securing laboratory premises and equipment. His initial priority has been to engage with relatives, survivors and former residents in relation to the intervention.

Finally, I have also recently established an administrative scheme to allow for the collection of samples, on a purely voluntary basis, from elderly and vulnerable people in advance of the start of the statutory Identification Programme.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department is currently in the process of establishing the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme following the enactment of the necessary legislation in July of this year. As you know, I commenced discussions with regard to a contribution from the religious orders towards the cost of the Payment Scheme and I recently secured government approval to engage a negotiator to conclude these discussions.

While these discussions are ongoing they are being treated as confidential. Accordingly, it would not be appropriate to say anything further at this time but I will brief Government on the matter when the process is concluded. I expect this process to take a number more months.

No financial contributions were made by religious congregations to the Magdalen Restorative Justice Ex-Gratia Scheme.

Questions as to the contributions made by religious congregations to the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme should be directed to the Minister for Education as I am not in a position to provide that information.