This matter goes to the heart of how we as a State reckon with our past and respond to those who continue to live with its consequences. The focus today is on the history of Bessborough and the wider legacy of mother and baby institutions in this country. Bessborough was one of a network of institutions that operated for decades in Ireland by taking in women and girls, many of them very young, who found themselves pregnant outside marriage. Those women were often sent there in circumstances not of their choosing. Once they were inside, they experienced a system that was harsh, isolating and in many cases deeply traumatic. They were separated from the families and communities and in many cases from their children. Their voices were not heard. Their rights were not respected. For far too long, their experiences were hidden from public view. Children born in Bessborough, like those born in similar institutions across the State, faced their own stark realities. Many were adopted, often without full or informed consent from their mothers. Others remained in the institution for periods of time. Tragically, many in Bessborough did not survive. For decades the story of these women and children was not spoken about openly. There was silence at a societal and institutional level. Silence was imposed on those who lived through those experiences. It is only in more recent years, through the courage and persistence of survivors, that the full extent of what happened in places like Bessborough has come to light. The establishment of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes was a significant step in that process. Its final report provided an important record and acknowledgement of what occurred. It documented the conditions within those institutions and the experiences of those who were there. As we know, reports alone cannot answer every question or address every concern. The legacy of our mother and baby institutions remains one of the most painful chapters in our State's history. While the Government's action plan for survivors and former residents is a step in the right direction, we must say honestly that it does not go far enough, particularly when it comes to the protection of unrecorded burial sites. The request from the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to local authorities, including Cork City Council, to consider these sites within their development plans is welcome but consideration alone is not enough. These are not ordinary planning matters; they are sacred sites, places of memory and in many cases the only resting place of vulnerable people, children and women whose dignity was denied in life. We need stronger and clearer protections to ensure that no unrecorded burial site is ever disturbed, overlooked or lost to development. The State must lead here with urgency and compassion because how we treat these sites today reflects how seriously we take the injustices of the past. We must remember that this is not simply about land or surveys. It is about people. It is about mothers who were denied agency over their lives. It is about children who were separated from their families. It is about those who died and those whose resting places may not be fully known. It is about trust in the State to do what is right even when it is difficult, trust in our institutions to engage honestly with the past and trust that the voices of survivors will continue to be heard. The Government's action plan rightly recognises the importance of dignified, local memorialisation of known and agreed burial sites. This is not simply a policy commitment; it is a moral obligation to those who were lost to the families and communities that have carried that pain for generations. While I welcome the establishment of the working group by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, what is now needed is urgency and delivery. Survivors have waited long enough for recognition, respect and tangible action on the ground. We must ensure this process is truly inclusive, is led by survivors, and has survivors' voices at the centre of the decision-making process. However, consultation alone is not enough. Clear timelines, adequate resources and visible progress are essential. I urge the Government to move swiftly from commitment to implementation, to support local communities in creating appropriate memorials and to ensure these sites are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. I am aware that planning permission has recently been granted by Cork City Council for a housing development on the Bessborough site. While I acknowledge that a number of conditions have been attached to this permission, including a requirement to have a forensic archaeological monitoring strategy and the presence of a forensic archaeologist during excavation, my clear personal view is that proceeding in this manner is fundamentally wrong. If there is even the slightest possibility that burial remains may be located on the site for which planning permission has been approved, assurances should have been confirmed as part of the planning process that no burials took place on that portion of land. That did not happen here and that is a serious concern for me. The conditions provide the work must cease if remains are discovered and that the relevant authorities must be notified but we should not be relying on discovery during construction. We should be ensuring beyond doubt, before any permission is granted, that such deeply sensitive issues have been fully examined. It is now a matter for An Coimisiún Pleanála to determine how this application proceeds from here. I urge that body to take the utmost care and to ensure respect, dignity and due process are at the heart of any decision made. This is not just a planning issue but a matter of historical responsibility and human decency. The history of Bessborough is not just local history but is a part of our national story. It reflects a time when vulnerable women and children were failed by the very systems meant to protect them. Acknowledging that history is essential, as is learning from it, but so too is ensuring we continue to respond to its legacy. We cannot change what happened in the past but we can decide how we deal with it now. We can choose to listen, we can choose to act and we can choose to ensure no legitimate concern is left unanswered. In doing so, we honour those who lived through those experiences and those who did not live to tell their stories.

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