First cousins of children believed to be buried at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam are set to become eligible to take part in the official identification programme, following a planned change in legislation.
Cabinet has approved proposals to amend the Institutional Burials Act 2022, which currently governs the excavation, recovery, identification and reburial of remains at the Tuam site. The law, as it stands, allows only close relatives — such as parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and nieces or nephews — to provide DNA samples, excluding first cousins.
The move comes after updated scientific advice from Forensic Science Ireland, which indicates that advances in DNA analysis now make it possible to reliably use samples from first cousins in identification efforts.
Previously, experts had warned that the genetic link between cousins — who share grandparents rather than parents — could make accurate identification more difficult, particularly when working with degraded remains.
Announcing the development, Norma Foley said the Government was keen to act quickly once the new evidence emerged. She said: “I know that the Identification Programme is very important for people who believe they have family members buried at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam.” She added: “Forensic Science Ireland recently informed me of new scientific developments since the enactment of the legislation that allow for DNA matching of sufficient quality to support the inclusion of first cousins in an Identification Programme.”
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality will now work alongside the Office of the Attorney General to draft the necessary amendments, with the aim of introducing them to the Houses of the Oireachtas as soon as possible.
The identification programme is a central part of efforts to establish the identities of 796 children believed to be buried at the Tuam site, where a former Mother and Baby institution once operated.
The broader issue of unmarked or undocumented burials linked to such institutions has remained a deeply sensitive and unresolved chapter in Irish history.
Patricia Carey, Special Advocate for Survivors, welcomed the development, noting strong interest from families both in Ireland and abroad. She said: “It is crucial that all those who believe that they have a relative who died and is buried at the site of the former county home institutions have access to the DNA programme for those 796 children who died and they are buried there.”
She also highlighted the wider scale of the issue, pointing out that almost 10,000 children and mothers died in Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions across Ireland, with many burial sites still unidentified. “The vast majority of these are disappeared,” she said, calling for further efforts to locate and identify burial grounds nationwide.
Ms Carey stressed that dignified memorialisation forms a key part of redress for affected families, particularly where the final resting places of loved ones remain unknown. She also called for immediate Government intervention regarding proposed apartment developments on the grounds of the former Bessborough Mother and Baby Home, where 923 children are known to have died but only 64 burial records exist.
The planned legislative change is expected to significantly expand the pool of potential DNA contributors, offering new hope to families seeking answers and closure in relation to the Tuam site.
