Important to get legislation correct on Bill to allow interventions on certain institutional burials – Farrell

ENSURING that the legislation to allow interventions on certain institutional burials is tested through an Oireachtas Committee is a positive initiative, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal and Chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs welcomed the decision by Government to refer the General Scheme of a Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill to the Committee for pre-legislative scrutiny.

“It is positive that Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has formally referred the General Scheme of a Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill to the Oireachtas Committee for pre-legislative scrutiny.

“Following the discovery of juvenile human remains at the former Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, it was important that the Government take action to ensure those, especially the children, are treated with the respect now that were deprived of in the Mother and Baby Home. This is the least we can do as a State, but we must do it correctly.

“While they may not have been shown any respect in death, they can be shown compassion and charity by those with the power to do so following some tremendous work by people living in Tuam. Those interred there must be accorded respect and dignity. Careful scrutiny is now required for the bill.

“It is absolutely vital that we get this legislation right to allow for the exhumation of the remains at former institutional sites like that in Tuam, provide a timeframe for these interventions to take place, and allow DNA testing for the purpose of familial matching.

“The instances that occurred in Mother and Baby homes are a shameful part of our country’s history.

“I am pleased that the Oireachtas Children and Youth Affairs Committee will now be able to conduct pre-legislative scrutiny of this legislation. As Chairperson, I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Committee as we work to make the implementation of legislation on authorised interventions in certain institutional burials a reality,” Deputy Farrell said.