'A day filled with emotion': Full forensic excavation for mass grave at Tuam home for unmarried mothers
The Government has approved the forensic excavation of the site of a former mother and babies home.
A mass grave was found at the former home in Tuam in Co Galway last year.
Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone announced there will be a forensic excavation and recovery of the human remains, as well as a forensic analysis of any recovered remains and, where possible, identification and respectful reburial.
A commission was set up following allegations that around 800 infants were buried in a septic tank at the former home for unmarried mothers.
Ms Zappone described it as a “day filled with emotion”.
“It is only by taking the right actions now can we truly demonstrate our
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compassion and commitment to work towards justice, truth and healing for what happened in our past and, most especially, for those who were previously abandoned.” @KZapponeTD pic.twitter.com/os7O0joyI1
The excavation can only happen after legislation is passed by the Irish parliament to deal specially with the project, which is expected to cost between six million and 13 million euro.
Ms Zappone explained that the bespoke legislation was needed to provide “specific lawful authority” to carry out the excavation of the site.
A group of Government officials and experts are expected to meet in the next two weeks to examine how to put the legislation in place.
The actions to be taken include:
– A phased approach to the forensic excavation and recovery of the juvenile human remains;
– The use of systematic on-site ground-truthing and text excavations to effectively locate potential burials;
– The forensic analysis of any recovered remains and, where possible, individualisation and identification;
– Arrangements for respectful reburial and memorialisation and the appropriate conservation of the site.
Ms Zappone described the Government’s approach as “reasonable and rooted in profound empathy”.
“The initial work on site will focus on the remains known to be within the series of chambers identified by the commission of investigation,” she added.
“It is a day filled with emotion. Since confirmation that the site contains the remains of children, my officials and I have been grappling with how to ensure how we respond appropriately.”
The Bon Secours sisters, who ran the home until it closed in 1961, have offered a fixed sum of 2.5 million euro towards the costs, which Ms Zappone said was not a settlement.
Niamh McCullagh, a forensic archaeologist, said that estimating the number of remains “is difficult” but added there was “perhaps more than 100” at the site.
Ms Zappone said DNA testing will be carried out to identify the remains and that a pilot process will be undertaken on a small number of remains on the site.
Ms McCullagh added that retrieving DNA is “complex and challenging” because of the age of the juvenile remains.
“The fact that the government has decided to initiate a forensic protocol for recovery of these remains will assist towards trying to establish individualisation and identification but in terms of whether DNA is going to actually be possible, to say with certainty is simply not possible at this point”, Ms McCullagh added.
“Lost children, lost sisters and lost brothers. The impact on families and individuals is devastating and we owe it to the strength and the passion and the courage of those who spoke up and broke the silence to act now.”
She also stated that what happened in Tuam was part of pattern of injustice that “we cannot overcome unless we acknowledge it”.
“We must look not just at the actions of the church or religious orders, we must examine and accept the role of the State and wider society,” she added.
Ms Zappone described it as an “unprecedented piece of work” adding that they do not know if they can identify all the remains.
She also said she has not heard from Pope Francis after raising the issue with the pontiff during his visit to Ireland in August but added that she is certain that the Vatican is aware of what she announced on Tuesday.
Dr Geoffrey Shannon, National Child Protection Rapporteur, who published a report into the mother and baby home, said: “I expressed the view that we need to have regard to the distress and anguish of family members.
“Family members have human rights that need to be respected and vindicated.”
James Gibbs, of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, said that any evidence of criminal matters that emerge during the process will be dealt with by Garda.
Campaigner Catherine Corless has welcomed today's development saying it's a great day for survivors.
"I'm absolutely overwhelmed with the whole announcement," she said.
"I didn't expect it and neither did the survivors. We thought we had a further battle on our hands.
"It's a statement that those children mattered, that they do deserve dignity, and they do deserve recognition and to give them a name."
The site of the former mother and baby home in Tuam, Co Galway, is to be fully excavated and forensically examined.
The government decided a full excavation was the best way forward at its cabinet meeting this morning.
A forensic examination will aim to identify the remains of all children buried at the site.
Arrangements for reburial or memorialisation of those children will then be arranged.
Forensic archaeologist Niamh McCullagh says it will be difficult to identify the remains through DNA testing.
"These remains have been interred in a very specific environmental context that involves contamination from many other DNA sources so there's quite a lot of complexity here," she said.
The cost of the project is expected to be between €6m and €13m.
Minister @KZapponeTD announces a “phased approach” to the forensic excavation of the remains of the children who died in Tuam Mother and Baby Home #iestaff via @Elaine_Loughlin pic.twitter.com/7DGdNxxoKD
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Children's Minister Katherine Zappone says every reasonable effort will be made to locate and recover the remains of all children buried in Tuam and her Department will lead the process.
She wrote to the Bons Secours nuns, who have offered to pay some of the costs of the excavation. "It is a contribution to the costs, it's voluntary. It is not a settlement, it is not an indemnity. They have offered the State a contribution of €2.5m towards the costs," she said.
The Minister says she can't give a timeline for when work will start as legislation needs to be passed to allow it to happen.
The Department also can't say how many children's remains may be located at the site until work begins.
The past needs to be addressed by fully finding out what happened in Tuam, said Minister Zappone: "The pain, the grief and the injustice caused by events in that home may never heal. Many men and women alive today spent time in that institution, either as children or young women. It is a day too to remember the children whose remains are in the site."
