THE Office of the Director of Authorised Interventions at Tuam (ODAIT) is set to begin work this summer on exhuming the remains of children who were buried in underground chambers on the grounds of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam, Co. Galway.
These chambers were previously part of a sewage system, and the institution operated from 1925 to 1961. The intervention follows two years of preparation and planning due to the sensitive and complex nature of the work.
A shrine and garden at the site of the mass burial plot in TuamThe aim of the intervention is to restore dignity in death and, where possible, to identify those believed to have died while resident in the institution.
ODAIT will recover the remains from what has been described by the Commission of Investigation as an inappropriate burial site, and, if identification is possible, offer dignified reburial in accordance with the wishes of family members and survivors.
Identification will rely on DNA samples from people who believe they may be related to those buried at the site. ODAIT has stated that this process will be “challenging due to the young age of the children at death, the elapse of time since their death, the environmental conditions in Tuam and the likely small number of close relatives who can provide samples”.
To support this process, the agency is currently appealing for people to come forward who know or suspect they had a relative who died while resident in the Tuam Mother and Baby institution.
Initially, ODAIT is prioritising the collection of DNA from elderly and/or vulnerable individuals who may not be in a position to wait for the general phase of the Identification Programme to begin due to concerns about their age or health.
Those eligible to provide DNA samples under the legislation include (but may not be limited to): child, parent, sibling, half-sibling, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, half-niece, half-nephew, grandniece or grandnephew.
Further information is available at the ODAIT website www.odait.ie, or by contacting the office at [email protected] or by phone at 00353 1 539 1777.
The work at Tuam forms one element of a broader set of measures announced by the Government as part of the Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, published in November 2021. Two additional key supports include:
Access to birth information, now available under the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022, which provides a clear right of access to birth certificates and early life records for all those who were adopted, boarded out, nursed out, or affected by illegal birth registration. More details are available at www.birthinfo.ie.
The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme, which offers financial payments and enhanced health supports to eligible individuals in recognition of the circumstances they experienced while resident in these institutions. To learn more or apply, visit www.gov.ie/paymentscheme.
For those living in Britain who have been affected by the Mother and Baby and County Home system in Ireland, support is available through the following organisations:
The National Response Line (London Irish Centre): 0800 519 5519
Coventry Irish Society: 0247 625 6629
Fréa – Renewing Roots: 07432 138 682
If you live in Britain and are affected by any aspects of Mother and Baby and County Homes in the Republic of Ireland you can contact; The National Response line 0800 519 5519; Tuesday to Thursday 10am-4pm (The London Irish Centre), 0247 625 6629 (Coventry Irish Society) or 07432 138 68
See More: Exhumation, Galway, Irealnd, Mother And Baby Homes, Tuam
