Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 December 2019
627. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the timeline envisaged for the commencement of forensic excavation works at the Tuam mother and baby home; the estimated cost of the works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52617/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraOnce the Bill based on the General Scheme of a Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill has been enacted, it will be possible to establish the Agency to manage the intervention at the site of the former Mother and Baby Home in Tuam and the appropriate expertise can then be procured to carry out the necessary work. I hope that we can move swiftly through the pre-legislative scrutiny and drafting processes with a view to bringing the Bill before the Oireachtas during the summer session, with enactment in the autumn session.
At that point, it should be possible to establish the Agency reasonably promptly. Site works, when commenced, are expected to take a number of months, depending on site conditions.
The costs, as has been said previously, are expected to be in the range of €6 million-€13 million. Given that the project will be responsive to the demands of the site, there is potential for significant variability in the ultimate costs.
