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Timeline updates from the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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Last updated on
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Published on
Last updated on
The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters was dissolved on 28 February 2021.
If you are seeking access to personal information from the records which have transferred to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, please contact sar@equality.gov.ie
The Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation submitted its final report to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on 30 October 2020. The report was published on 12 January 2021.
The Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation submitted its final report to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on 30 October 2020. The decision on when to publish it rests with the Minister.
The Commission is continuing in existence until 28 February 2021 in order to deal with its archives and other administrative matters.
Katherine Zappone TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has today (17 April 2019) published the Fifth Interim Report of the Commission on Mother and Baby Homes. The Fifth Interim Report examines the burial arrangements in the institutions under investigation by the Commission. The report also examines the transfer of remains to educational institutions for the purpose of anatomical examination.
Katherine Zappone TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has today (22 January 2019) published the Fourth Interim Report of the Commission on Mother and Baby Homes. The government agreed to the Commission's request for an extension of the time for delivery of its reports. The reasons for this request are set out in the Commission's Fourth Interim Report.
This means that the new deadline for delivery of the Commission's reports is 17 February 2020.
The Commission has organised a Geophysical Survey to be conducted on the site identified as the children's burial ground in Sean Ross Abbey in order to determine the nature of burials at this site. The survey will start on Wednesday, 23 January 2019, and is expected to take approximately one day. Further investigations may be required depending on the outcome of this survey.
The company on site has been engaged specifically by the Commission to carry out the survey and will be unable to answer queries on any other aspect of the Commission’s work. Any such queries should be addressed directly to the Commission.
The Commission has now completed the work required to reinstate the grassed surfaces on this site. Grass re-growth will take some time. Barriers have been erected around the site to protect the surface from damage. These will be removed in due course.
The Commission's involvement in the site has now ceased. Any queries in relation to it should be addressed to Galway County Council.
The Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation is tasked with investigating and reporting on the burial arrangements of children and mothers who died while resident in the institutions within our remit. We are currently investigating the burials of a large number of children who died while resident in Bessboro Mother and Baby Home in Cork between 1922 and 1998.
The Commission would like to hear from anyone who has personal knowledge, documentation or any other information concerning the burial arrangements and/or burial places of children who died in Bessboro in this time period. We welcome written submissions on or before 1 April 2018 by post or email to:
Katherine Zappone TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has today (5 December 2017) published the Third Interim Report of the Commission on Mother and Baby Homes. The government agreed to the Commission's request for an extension of the time for delivery of its reports. The reasons for this request are set out in the Commission's Third Interim Report.
This means that the new deadline for delivery of the Commission's reports is 17 February 2019.
The Commission has decided to remove the hoarding around the excavation site at the children's burial ground in Tuam, Co Galway. This is being done for health and safety reasons. The hoarding will be removed on Wednesday, 27 September 2017. This work will not affect the surface of the site, which is secure.
Katherine Zappone TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has today (11 April 2017) published the Second Interim Report of the Commission on Mother and Baby Homes.
The Commission has completed its test excavation of the Tuam site.
The stratigraphic survey which was conducted in October 2015 identified a particular area of interest and identified a number of sub surface anomalies that were considered worthy of further investigation. These were further investigated by a test excavation in November/December 2016 and in January/February 2017. Test trenches were dug revealing two large structures. One structure appears to be a large sewage containment system or septic tank that had been decommissioned and filled with rubble and debris and then covered with top soil. The second structure is a long structure which is divided into 20 chambers. The Commission has not yet determined what the purpose of this structure was but it appears to be related to the treatment/containment of sewage and/or waste water. The Commission has also not yet determined if it was ever used for this purpose.
In this second structure, significant quantities of human remains have been discovered in at least 17 of the 20 underground chambers which were examined. A small number of remains were recovered for the purpose of analysis. These remains involved a number of individuals with age-at-death ranges from approximately 35 foetal weeks to 2-3 years. Radiocarbon dating of the samples recovered suggest that the remains date from the timeframe relevant to the operation of the Mother and Baby Home (the Mother and Baby Home operated from 1925 to 1961; a number of the samples are likely to date from the 1950s). Further scientific tests are being conducted.
The Commission is shocked by this discovery and is continuing its investigation into who was responsible for the disposal of human remains in this way. Meanwhile, the Commission has asked that the relevant State authorities take responsibility for the appropriate treatment of the remains. The Coroner has been informed.
The Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation conducted a test excavation at the site of the Children's Burial Ground/Memorial Garden located in the Dublin Road Housing Estate Tuam, Co. Galway in October/November 2016.
This excavation will be continued for a further two to three weeks starting on 30 January 2017.
The Commission wishes to inform everyone concerned that the closing date for applications to meet the Confidential Committee is Wednesday, 1 March 2017. You may contact the Confidential Committee on Freephone 1800 806 688.
The Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation has arranged for a test excavation at the site of the Children's Burial Ground/Memorial Garden located in the Dublin Road Housing Estate, Tuam, Co. Galway. Site works will begin on 1 October and last for approximately 5 weeks.
A sample of the site will be excavated by a team of specialist Archaelogists lead by a Forensic Archaelogist. Works are taking place with the full co-operation of An Garda Síochána.
The purpose of the excavation is to resolve a number of queries that the Mother and Baby Homes Commission has in relation to the interment of human remains at this location. This excavation will focus on timeline and stratigraphy. A fraction of the site will be excavated through test trenches, the location of which have been informed by a Geophysical Survey carried out at the site in October 2015.
The excavation team has been engaged by the Commission for the purpose and, under the conditions of confidentiality, will not be in a position to answer any queries on this or any other aspects of the Commission's work. Any such queries should be addressed directly to the Commission. Residents and local groups are being informed of the impact of the planned excavation with assistance from Tuam Garda Station.
The Commission is grateful to the Gardaí and Galway County Council, the owners of the site, for their assistance. Neither is in a position to answer questions on this or any other aspects of the Commission's work.
Press queries may be addressed to:
Ita Mangan
The Commission has now chosen the County Homes it proposes to investigate and these are as follows:
A Geophysical Survey will be conducted on the site of the graveyard at the Dublin Road Housing Estate, Tuam, Co. Galway on behalf of the Commission on Friday, 9 October 2015. The survey will be conducted with the consent of Galway County Council, who are the owners of the site.
The survey will involve the use of non-invasive methods. It will be conducted over the surface of the ground inside the current boundaries of the graveyard. The sub surface of the site will not be disturbed.
The purpose of the survey is to detect the presence of possible sub surface anomalies. Ground Penetrating Radar, Magnetometry and Electrical Resistivity remote sensing methods will be used.
It is expected that work on site will take no more than one day, weather permitting.
The company on site have been engaged specifically by the Commission to carry out the survey and will be unable to answer queries on any other aspect of the Commission’s work. Any such queries should be addressed directly to the Commission.