Mother and Baby Homes
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-19
============================================================

Marian Harkin (IND), Sligo-Leitrim

I thank the Senator for raising not just an important issue but a sensitive one, as I said. The investigation of burial arrangements in mother and baby institutions, including at Bessborough, was an important part of the work of the commission of investigation into mother and baby homes. The response outlined its findings in relation to former institutions at Tuam and Bessborough.
Time will not allow me to outline the investigations of burial arrangements at other institutions, but to come back to what the Senator spoke about, I am aware that planning permission has recently been granted to a development at the Bessborough site. Obviously, planning decisions are a matter for the relevant planning authorities. However, I note that in this instance Cork City Council has attached a number of conditions. I think they are important conditions. These include requirements to have a forensic archaeological monitoring strategy and a forensic archaeologist in place to monitor excavation at the site. It is also specified that if human remains are located, all work on the site should cease and the relevant authorities should be informed.
The Government’s action plan contains clear commitments in relation to dignified local memorialisation of known or agreed burial sites. I have more to say here, but I recognise that my time has run out. I am not sure how to word this because it is such a sensitive and difficult issue, but I will personally ensure that the Senator’s concerns are brought to the Minister in question. I thank the Senator.

---

Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:45+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-19