Results of ground-penetrating scan at Tuam baby site to be revealed

THE results of a ground-penetrating scan of the wider Tuam mother-andbaby home site have been given to the Minister for Children.

Katherine Zappone confirmed that the technical report – the second one carried out by a team of archaeologists appointed earlier this year – is due to be published soon.

Minister Zappone said: ‘It is my intention to publish the report after I have brought it to Government.

‘We will consult with stakeholders before making any decisions.’

The report looks at a number of possible options for managing the Co. Galway site, and responding appropriately to the discovery of human remains by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes.

Minister Zappone has given a copy of the report to the Attorney General and will now consider the next step.

The story of the Tuam babies was first exposed by The Irish Mail on Sunday in 2014, which led to the setting up of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes.

On March 3 this year, the Commission confirmed a significant amount of human remains had been found at the site following an excavation.

Following the discovery of these human remains, the Commission decided to scan the remainder of the area around the Tuam grave.

The scans began on July 17 and involved a non-invasive survey covering other locations around the area.

Forensic Science Ireland – which assists the justice system by analysing samples from crime scenes and providing expert evidence in trials – is also involved with the Tuam grave investigation.

It emerged recently that the hoarding around the burial site in Tuam had been removed.

In an email sent to the Tuam Babies Family Group, the Commission wrote to say it had ‘decided to remove the hoarding surrounding the excavation site at the children’s graveyard’.

‘The surface of the site is not affected by this work,’ it added.