Dignified Burial
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Published on
Last updated on
In Action 22 of the Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, the government committed to advancing burials legislation to allow intervention where there have been manifestly inappropriate burials. In February 2022, it approved publication of the Institutional Burials Bill 2022 to support the excavation, exhumation and, where possible, identification of remains so that they can be reburied with dignity. Following the successful passage of the Bill through the Houses of the Oireachtas, it was signed into law by the President on 13 July 2022.
Institutional Burials Act 2022 – Plain English version
On 4 October 2022 the Government made an Order, under the Institutional Burials Act, to direct the establishment of an independent Office to lead an intervention at the site of the former Mother and Baby Institution in Tuam, Co. Galway. The making of the Order followed on from Resolutions in the Dáil and Seanad in September 2022 approving the draft Order that was agreed by Government in July 2022. In March 2023 the Minister formally established the Office of the Authorised Intervention, Tuam, in law.
A recruitment campaign for a Director to head up the Office of Authorised Intervention was launched by the Public Appointments Service in November 2022.
Following the conclusion of this campaign, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’ Gorman, announced the appointment of Mr Daniel Mac Sweeney as Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam on 23 May2023.