Holly Cairns (Cork South-West, Social Democrats)
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910. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth whether she will consider a sensitive excavation of the suspected burial grounds at Sean Ross Abbey; whether engagements with survivors have been conducted to seek their views; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2350/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I am very conscious of the pain caused by the deaths of children who were resident in the former Mother and Baby institution in Sean Ross Abbey.

The investigation of burial arrangements in Mother and Baby institutions, including the former institution at Sean Ross Abbey, was an important part of the work of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. The Commission’s final report included a Report of Forensic Archaeological Investigations at Sean Ross Abbey Mother and Baby Home Children’s Burial Ground. The report, which was commissioned on foot of concerns about the burial ground in Sean Ross Abbey, found that infant human burials were located across the Children’s Burial ground and these had not been impacted by any utilities or drainage works.

As set out in its final report, the Commission was satisfied that the forensic report provided clear evidence that the coffined remains of children under the age of one are buried in the designated burial ground. It noted that, without complete excavation, it was not possible to say conclusively that all of the children who died in Sean Ross were buried in the designated burial ground and that it did not consider that further investigation was warranted.

I understand that, following publication of the Commission’s final report, the then Minister engaged with a local group in relation to their concerns that an area beyond the acknowledged burial ground at Sean Ross Abbey may also contain graves. In 2023, funding was provided to the group to support them in undertaking a survey of the land in question, which was not subject to investigation by the Commission.

The group submitted a copy of the report of the survey to my Department, and, as there is no expertise in the Department to assess it, the Chief Archaeologist in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage was asked to review it. The Chief Archaeologist’s review, which has been shared with the group concerned, concludes that the survey report is inconclusive, with no clear evidence of burials. I understand, however, that the group continues to have concerns in this regard.

The Institutional Burials Act 2022 provides a legislative 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. Section 7 of the 2022 Act requires that Government must be satisfied that burials have taken place and must have evidence that those burials are manifestly inappropriate in order to establish an Office of Director of Authorised Intervention to undertake an excavation and recovery of remains at a site associated with a particular institution.

Given that the designated burial ground has been forensically investigated and there is no evidence of manifestly inappropriate burials, and there is also no evidence of manifestly inappropriate burials in the area outside the designated burial ground, it is not possible to bring forward a proposal to establish an Office of Director of Authorised Intervention to excavate the site at Sean Ross Abbey.

Holly Cairns (Cork South-West, Social Democrats)
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911. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth whether she will consider a sensitive excavation of the suspected burial grounds at Bessborough; whether engagements with survivors have been conducted to seek their views; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2351/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I am very conscious of the pain caused by the deaths of people who were resident in the former Mother and Baby institution in Bessborough and the uncertainty regarding the burial place of many children who were resident there.

The investigation of burial arrangements in Mother and Baby institutions, including Bessborough, was an important part of the work of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. The Commission carried out cartographic and landscape assessments of possible unrecorded burial arrangements at the site. It also carried out a site survey and followed up with people on responses to its appeal seeking information about burials. However, it was unable to find any physical or documentary evidence of burials of the children who died at Bessborough in the grounds. As no evidence of locations was found, the Commission did not consider it feasible to excavate the full available site, which amounts to 60 acres, or indeed the former 200 acre estate, parts of which have now been built on.

The Institutional Burials Act 2022 provides a legislative 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. Section 7 of the 2022 Act requires that Government must be satisfied that burials have taken place and must have evidence that those burials are manifestly inappropriate in order to establish an Office of Director of Authorised Intervention to undertake an excavation and recovery of remains at a site associated with a particular institution.

In the case of Bessborough, the location of burials is, sadly, unknown. In this situation it is not possible to bring forward a proposal to establish an Office of Director of Authorised Intervention to excavate and recover remains.