Remains of ten more infants recovered from Tuam site
THE remains of a further ten infants have been recovered from the former Tuam Mother and Baby Home site bringing the total to date to 109.
The latest report from the Director of Authorised Intervention Tuam (ODAIT) covers the period from mid-July to the end of September.
The majority of the remains excavated from the site over the past year have been in coffins and there was evidence also of coffins relating to the latest ten remains recovered.
Catherine Corless’ research revealed that there were death records for 796 babies and infants who died at the home but there were no matching burial records.
The Forensic Excavation team are examining a half hectare section of the site at the former Mother and Baby Institution at the centre of the Dublin Road housing estate.
All of the remains recovered to date have been located in a site marked on a Council map as being a burial ground. The area was used as a roadway for access to residents’ back gardens and yards and to the Memorial Garden.
Excavation work at the site known as the Memorial Garden has not yet started.
A larger tent has been erected on the site which can also be expanded and reduced as needs require. This will allow the team to excavate the entire area up to and beyond the old boundary wall of the institution’s grounds as required by the forensic excavation.
The remains of the 109 babies and infants that have been discovered to date have been brought to the new multi-million-euro forensic analysis facility at the HSE campus in Toghermore on the town’s outskirts, which opened in July.
Identification efforts
Meanwhile, efforts to expand the sampling of DNA to include first cousins is progressing. Necessary amendments to the existing legislation have been prepared. The Bill has been brought to Government and is expected to be published in the coming days. It will then proceed through the Houses of the Oireachtas as part of the legislative process.
In the past two and a half month the team collected an extra 12 DNA reference samples which have been delivered to Forensic Science Ireland. It brings the total number of DNA reference samples taken to date to 74.
A public information campaign will launch in November.
ODAIT encourages anyone who believes they may have a family member buried at the site of the former Tuam Mother and Baby Institution to contact their office. The team can answer questions by calling +353 (0)1 539 1777, email info@dait.ie or visit www.odait.ie for more information. ODAIT’s public information campaign will launch in November.