The commencement of excavation work today at the site of the former mother and baby home in Tuam represents an important milestone in the long campaign for truth and justice, according to Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly.<\/p>\n
Deputy Farrelly, who is the party\u2019s spokesperson on children, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cToday marks a significant step towards\u00a0restoring the dignity of almost 800 babies and infants who died at the home and were unceremoniously buried within the grounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has only come about thanks to the tireless work and dedication of historian Catherine Corless, whose meticulous research more than a decade ago revealed this dark stain on our history.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile the process starting today will be slow and complex, I have confidence it will be carried out with due sensitivity. I share the hope that, ultimately, it will bring closure for as many families as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe appalling treatment of those incarcerated in mother and baby homes at the hands of religious orders \u2013 with the complicity of the State \u2013 must never be forgotten.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor many survivors, their decades-long pain and suffering was compounded by a deeply flawed Commission of Investigation and a redress scheme that excluded 24,000 children who were born in one of these notorious institutions but spent less than six months there.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow that excavation work at Tuam is under way, the government must carry out a survey of the Bessborough mother and baby home grounds in Cork. Of the more than 900 children who died at this home, over 800 are thought to be buried within its grounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn fact, the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes found it very likely that remains of infants are buried on the site.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need a full investigation of these grounds to establish the location of these babies, followed by sensitive excavation work and the dignified exhumation of any remains found.\u201d<\/p>\n
July 14, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The commencement of excavation work today at the site of the former mother and baby home in Tuam represents an important milestone in the long campaign for truth and justice, according to Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly. Deputy Farrelly, who is the party\u2019s spokesperson on children, said: \u201cToday marks a significant step towards\u00a0restoring the dignity […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11557,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[396,556,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aidan-farrelly","category-mother-and-baby-homes","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n