Another planning application has been submitted for development on the former Bessborough mother and baby home site, adjacent to the area known as the children's burial ground. More than 900 children died in the care of the nuns at Bessborough. The burial place of more than 800 of those children is unknown. The commission of investigation found that it was very likely that the remains of infants and children are on the site. I raised this point with the Taoiseach two years ago when a similar application was proposed. We now have the Institutional Burials Act 2022, which allows the Government to engage with survivors to examine the site or to ensure appropriate memorialisation. Will the Taoiseach please use the powers available under the Act to engage with survivors in respect of the site urgently, before any planning application is decided upon?

I actually walked that site with some survivors a number of years ago. Their main concern was that the site they feel makes up the burial grounds - as the Deputy will know, the site at Bessborough is very large - should not be used for housing. If I am right, a previous application was rejected. The planning aspect is obviously an operational issue for the council but we will certainly continue to engage with the survivors regarding their needs, their perspective and their objectives. At that stage, they were not focused on excavation or anything like that, although they wanted the site preserved for memorialisation.

We have the Institutional Burials Act 2022, so the context is different.