Government must act now to protect Bessborough site
Government must act now to protect Bessborough site - The Labour Party
Labour Leader Ivana Bacik TD has called on the Government to immediately secure the former Bessborough Mother and Baby Home site through compulsory purchase or agreement with the developer. During Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil today Deputy Bacik warned that any further development risks undermining efforts to uncover the full truth about what happened there.
Deputy Bacik said:
“Survivors and families have waited far too long for truth, recognition and dignity. For many, Bessborough is not simply a former institution, it is a place where loved ones were lost, where lives were shaped by profound injustice, and where hundreds of babies remain unaccounted for. Those voices deserve to be heard before any irreversible decisions are made.
“This Government knows there are still unanswered questions about what happened at Bessborough. Nine hundred and twenty-three babies died there, yet only sixty-four are accounted for. Survivors continue to come forward with eyewitness accounts, while families are still searching for answers. Granting planning permission before all available records have been examined and before every appropriate modern investigative technique has been used is deeply concerning.
“An Taoiseach acknowledged in the Dáil today that there should be a period of reflection. Reflection alone is not enough. His response failed to set out any concrete plan to secure the site despite previously accepting that Cork City Council should have acquired it. With the political will, the State has the power to act.
“Support for action is growing. More than 11,000 people have signed a petition calling for the site to be compulsorily purchased, Cork City Council has unanimously backed that course of action, and survivors continue to campaign for justice. Labour is calling on Government to secure Bessborough through compulsory purchase, if necessary, or by negotiating with the developer, so the site can be properly investigated, preserved as a site of conscience and become home to a fitting memorial. Survivors deserve truth. Families deserve answers. Government must act now before this opportunity is lost.”