Minister Foley gains approval for Bessborough document search
Norma Foley has obtained Government clearance to apply to the High Court for access to technical documents concerning burials at the former Mother and Baby Institution in Bessborough. This move aims to enhance transparency around historical investigations in the area.
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The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, has secured Government approval to submit an application to the High Court seeking permission to locate and publish technical, factual documents related to burials at the site of the former Mother and Baby Institution at Bessborough.
These documents were originally utilised by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and are currently protected under the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004, which imposes a confidentiality principle preventing publication without a court directive. The materials include high-resolution aerial photographs taken by the Air Corps in 1951, site survey reports, and cartographic and landscape assessments conducted by forensic archaeologists, focusing on possible unrecorded burial locations.
Minister Foley emphasised the sensitivity and significance of the matter for affected families and stated that the application aims to support transparency. It is important to note that witness testimonies given in private sessions to the Commission will not be included, respecting the confidentiality promised to those individuals throughout the investigation process.
These documents were originally utilised by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and are currently protected under the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004, which imposes a confidentiality principle preventing publication without a court directive. The materials include high-resolution aerial photographs taken by the Air Corps in 1951, site survey reports, and cartographic and landscape assessments conducted by forensic archaeologists, focusing on possible unrecorded burial locations.
Minister Foley emphasised the sensitivity and significance of the matter for affected families and stated that the application aims to support transparency. It is important to note that witness testimonies given in private sessions to the Commission will not be included, respecting the confidentiality promised to those individuals throughout the investigation process.
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