Catherine Corless began researching the former Mother and Baby Institution in Tuam in 2010. In 2012 she published an article documenting the history of the former institution. Her work led her to estimate that nearly 800 children had died at the home. Based on her research, Catherine concluded that almost all of the deceased children had been buried in an unmarked and unregistered site at the home, and the article stated that there was a high death rate of residents.
Building on Catherine’s research, in 2014, Anna Corrigan uncovered inspection reports concerning the Tuam institution, which noted the most commonly recorded causes of deaths among the infants, many of which were of a concerning nature. Following the work of Catherine Corless, Anna Corrigan, and others, as well as many journalists, the attention of the public and of the Government focused on the issue of Mother and Baby Institutions in Ireland.
In 2015, the Government established The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes to investigate and report on a wide range of issues associated with Mother and Baby Institutions, including burial practices. In March 2017 the Commission confirmed the presence of juvenile human remains at the site of the former Mother and Baby Institution in Tuam. In response, the then Minister for Children and Youth Affairs commissioned an Expert Technical Group (ETG) to outline the options available for responding appropriately to the situation.
In October 2018 the Government decided that a phased, forensic-standard excavation, recovery and identification (if possible) of the remains should be carried out at the full available site at Tuam, followed by respectful re-interment of remains. The Attorney General advised that new legislation was required to implement the decision.
In December 2019 the Government approved and published the General Scheme and Heads of Bill, which set out the main legal changes or provisions of the proposed legislation. The General Scheme was scrutinised by an Oireachtas Committee during the first half of 2021. The Committee provided its report and recommendations in July 2021.
The Minister worked with the Attorney General to prepare the Institutional Burials Bill, taking account of feedback received from the Oireachtas Committee and other stakeholders. The Bill was approved by Government in February 2022. The legislation then completed its passage through both Houses of the Oireachtas and was signed into law in July 2022.
The Institutional Burials Act 2022 seeks to ensure that the remains of those who died in residential institutions, and who were buried in a manifestly inappropriate manner, may be recovered and re-interred in a respectful and appropriate way. It also provides for the identification of remains and their return to family members, where possible.
In October 2022 the Government made an Order, under the Institutional Burials Act 2022, to direct the establishment of an independent Office to lead an intervention at the site of the former Mother and Baby Institution in Tuam. The making of the Order followed on from Resolutions in the Dáil and Seanad in September approving the draft Order that was agreed by Government in July.
In March 2023 the Minister formally established the Office of Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam and in May 2023 he appointed Mr Daniel MacSweeney as the Director to oversee the intervention. Mr MacSweeney’s appointment was made following an open recruitment process run by the Public Appointments Service, which was launched in November 2022.
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