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Housing Minister has written to Cork City Council seeking a report on the site of the former mother and baby home at Bessborough 

Friday, 15 January 2021 11:13

It comes as there are plans to build a social housing development at the site

It comes as Cork Labour TD Sean Sherlock urged the Minister to intervene with use of ministerial directives under the planning act to prevent a social housing development at the site going ahead 

The plans for the development have raised serious concern with fears that hundreds of babies could be buried on the 200-acre estate on the city’s southside.

Minister Darragh O'Brien says the report published this week leaves a number of unanswered questions regarding Bessborough and while he is precluded from commenting or interfering with any individual planning applications he has written to the City Council seeking a report oh the site and any issues surrounding it 

Opposition TDs have called on the Government to offer to buy the land but the Government says this has not been discussed 

Social Democrat TD Holly Cairns told RedFM News that it's unthinkable for the survivors that the site should be considered for any planning application

"It's absolutely unthinkable that a development would be built there. I mean, of the 900 babies who passed away, whilst in the care of nuns in Bessborough 800 of those bodies are unaccounted for.  The least we can do in terms of providing respect and dignity to survivors, is to to respect the area where these remains are and to do the right thing" 

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