Identification
Once all of the analyses are concluded, the Identification Committee, which is comprised of a multidisciplinary group of expert forensic scientists, will meet to reconcile the available information for each case. This involves the comparison of all information available to ODAIT about persons reasonably believed to be buried at the Tuam site. Typically, this would involve comparison of personal, physical, medical and/or dental information (if available), known as ante-mortem data with the equivalent information collected from the human remains during the multidisciplinary scientific analysis process, known as post-mortem data. Due to the age profile of those believed to have died in Tuam and the era of the Tuam Institution (1925-61), there is likely to be limited ante-mortem data available meaning that the results of the DNA testing and matching conducted by Forensic Science Ireland will be of central importance when the reconciliation of information takes place for each case.
If the comparison all of the available information (and ante-mortem and post-mortem, DNA testing) is consistent and no discrepancies are observed, the Identification Committee then makes a recommendation to the Director to make a formal identification of the human remains as being a specific missing person.
Immediately after ODAIT’s formal identification of a set of human remains from the Tuam site, the concerned family is informed by a designated ODAIT staff member.
Circumstances and Cause of Death
Following the conclusion of the multidisciplinary scientific analysis of the human remains, all reports will be examined collectively to attempt to establish the circumstances and cause of death.
Unidentified human remains will be buried appropriately and with dignity. All will be memorialised after a consultative process informed by ODAIT’s core values. We will communicate with families and other stakeholders and respect good governance.
