Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023
1051. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the status of the excavation and exhumation of the mother and baby institution site in Tuam, County Galway. [48234/23]
View answerIn 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.
