Burials Bill Will Allow For Excavation of Mother and Baby Homes Sites

The government has published its "Burials Bill", which allows for the excavation of sites of former mother and baby homes.

The Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill was signed off by Cabinet this morning.

Following its publishing, Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman held a webinar with survivors and relatives.

The bill will now allow for forensic excavations to be held at the former mother and baby institution in Tuam and other sites.

Families can now hope to be finally reunited with the remains of loved ones who perished in such homes.

The new legislation allows for excavation; recovery of human remains; analysis of remains to establish cause and circumstances of death; use of DNA to identify remains; and return of remains to family members.

"In the context of Tuam, the available information suggests that the excavation, recovery and identification process will be extremely complex because of the number and age of the children interred there and the manner in which the remains are interred," the Department of Children said in a statement. "While this intervention is therefore expected to be challenging, the legislation ensures that it will be carried out by professionals in line with international standards and best practice so as to maximise what is scientifically achievable in relation to the identification and return of remains."

"What happened at Tuam is a stain on our national conscience," Minister O'Gorman said. "The Institutional Burials Bill will allow us, at long last, to afford the children interred at Tuam a dignified and respectful burial. I have listened carefully to families, survivors, and independent experts in order to strengthen and improve the legislation, and this is reflected in the Bill approved by Government today."