KATHERINE Zappone Says ‘disturbing’ Discovery of Children’s Remains at Former Tuam Mother-and-baby Home ‘not Unexpected’

By Kieran Dineen and Emma O'Rourke
Irish Sun
March 3, 2017

https://www.thesun.ie/news/662029/significant-quantities-of-human-remains-found-in-sewage-chambers-at-tuam-former-mother-and-baby-home/

The Children’s Minister has said the discovery of children’s remains at the site of the former mother and baby home in Tuam was “not unexpected”.

Katherine Zappone made her remarks after the Mother and Baby Homes Commission released a statement confirming the find.

The site of a mass grave for children who died in the Tuam mother and baby home

The results of the excavation dig in November and December 2016 show that “significant quantities of human remains” were discovered in at least 17 of the 20 underground chambers which were examined.

The recovered corpses range in age from 35 foetal weeks to 2-3 years old.

The chambers were discovered beneath a long structure which was one-time linked to the treatment of sewage and / or wastewater, though may never havge been used for this purpose.

A dig was also carried out under a structure that appeared to be a septic tank that had been decommissioned and filled with rubble and debris and then covered with top soil.

No remains were discovered under this structure.

Katherine Zappone

Following the revelations, Minister Zappone said: “This is very sad and disturbing news. It was not unexpected as there were claims about human remains on the site over the last number of years.

“Up to now we had rumours. Now we have confirmation that the remains are there, and that they date back to the time of the Mother and Baby Home, which operated in Tuam from 1925 to 1961.

“Today is about remembering and respecting the dignity of the children who lived their short lives in this home. We will honour their memory and make sure that we take the right actions now to treat their remains appropriately.”

Labour’s Jan O’Sullivan

Labour’s Children spokeswoman Jan O’Sullivan stated: “I am deeply saddened and concerned to hear confirmation today of the recovery of human remains at the site of a former mother and baby home in Tuam in Co.Galway.

“The brave women who lived at the home as well as their relatives who have come forward over the past number of years to tell their stories, and the painstaking research by local historian Catherine Corless, have helped to shed light on another dark chapter in Irish history.

“I continue to offer my support to the ongoing work of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, which is due to release its final report next year, and hope it will be of some help to the former residents and their families.”

A handwritten note is painted on the site of the mass grave in Co Galway

The Commission said it was “shocked” at the findings and added: “Significant quantities of human remains have been discovered in at least 17 of the 20 underground chambers which were examined.

“A small number of remains were recovered for the purpose of analysis.

“These remains involved a number of individuals with age-at-death ranges from approximately 35 foetal weeks to 2-3 years.

“The structure where the remains were found is long and divided into 20 chambers.

“The Commission is not yet clear if it was ever used for sewerage or waste water.

They added: “There were remains found in at least 17 of the 20 chambers. A small number of the remains were recovered.”