From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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The government has today approved a proposal by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, to establish an independent Office to lead an intervention at the site of the former Mother and Baby Institution in Tuam, Co. Galway. The intervention will involve the excavation, recovery, analysis, identification (if possible) and re-interment of the children’s remains located at the site. The proposal to establish the Office of Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam, follows on from the signing into law of the Institutional Burials Act 2022 earlier this month.
The Act, which provides the underlying legislative basis for the intervention, allows the government, by Order, to direct an intervention at a site where manifestly inappropriate burials of people who died in residential institutions have taken place. The government may make an Order when the criteria set out in the legislation are met. The government today confirmed that they are satisfied that the criteria are met in relation to Tuam.
A draft of the Government Order directing the Minister to intervene, as well as a statement of the reasons for making the Order, will now be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas for a resolution. If approved by the Houses on their return in the Autumn, the Tuam Office will be established and a Director will be appointed.
Speaking today the Minister said:
“The government has today approved my proposal for an intervention at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam under the Institutional Burials Act and a draft Order directing intervention will now be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas for approval.
"These are the final steps necessary in order to appoint a Director and start the excavation in Tuam. Affected families and, indeed, the people of Ireland have waited a long time for this. If approved by the Houses I will appoint a Director in the Autumn with a view to starting the excavation as soon as possible.”
The Minister also updated Government on the strong progress more generally on implementing the Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby Institutions which was published last November. He noted that 8 out of the 22 actions have been completed, with good work underway on many others.
The Institutional Burials Act 2022 provides for:
o Excavation of the site
o Recovery of human remains
o Post recovery analysis of remains
o Identification of remains through DNA familial matching (if possible)
o Return of remains to family members or respectful re-interment of remains in line with family wishes
All of the steps will be undertaken to a forensic-standard in line with international standards and best practice.