Permission upheld for apartments at Bessborough site

Permission has been granted for the development of 106 apartments at the site of the Mother and Baby institution in Bessborough, Co Cork.

The decision comes following an appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála.

Plans to develop the site have faced years of opposition from campaigners and survivors.

The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes estimated that 900 babies died at the site.

Earlier this year, developer Estuary View Enterprises was granted planning permission by Cork City Council to build apartments at the site.

Bessborough Mother and Baby Home Support Group and Cllr Peter Horgan of Labour lodged appeals with An Coimisiún Pleanála.

Today's decision has been described by survivors and advocates as very disappointing.

The Bessborough Mother and Baby institution operated from 1922 until 1998/99 under the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

Thousands of women and children passed through the institution over those decades.

While the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes concluded that over 900 children died, only a small number of burial locations have been conclusively identified, leaving the whereabouts of many children's remains unknown.

Survivors' groups and campaigners have argued that parts of the land may contain undocumented burials and that any development could permanently disturb evidence before all investigations are complete.

Calls for Govt to stop development, work with survivors

The Special Advocate for Survivors expressed shock at An Coimisiún Pleanála's decision, which she described as "abhorrent".

Patricia Carey said the decision was shameful, despite two appeals, over 160 objections, and a huge wave of public, civic and political support in recent months.

She called on the Government to intervene immediately to stop the development proceeding and to work with survivor groups to agree on a plan to identify the locations of all disappeared children's remains.

The Special Advocate joined calls for the Government to move to a Compulsory Purchase Order for the Bessborough site.

In a statement, she described the fact that burial records of only 64 children have been identified and located as "an absolute disgrace", considering that 923 children died in the institution.

"The ongoing failure by the State to locate, identify and properly memorialise the burial site of children who died in Bessborough and other Mother and Baby institutions, is unacceptable," she said.

She added that differing levels of treatment concerning the identification, preservation and memorialisation of human remains across Mother and Baby Institutions across Ireland has created an unfair hierarchy of abuse and responses to abuse for survivors and their families.

Call for Govt 'to right this wrong'

The Labour Party said there is still time for Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil "to right this wrong".

In a statement, it said a Compulsory Purchase Order of the site is possible.

It has urged the Government "to act without delay to ensure that the Bessborough site is recognised and preserved as a site of conscience".

Cork Senator Laura Harmon called for people from all across the country to lend their support in fighting the decision to build on the Bessborough site.

She called for urgent action to make voices heard.

"Building cannot take place at Bessborough while proper surveying with modern technology has not been done," she said.

Ms Harmon called for a full survey of the site to get answers for survivors.

"This is a moment to stand with survivors, to demand recognition of the past and to ensure that Bessborough is treated with the dignity and respect it deserves. Government must act now," she said.

In the Dáil, Sinn Féin called on the State to purchase Bessborough and to preserve it as a site of national conscience.

Eoin Ó Broin said the site holds many secrets and there has to be a proper investigation of the land.

He told the Dáil that it is still not known what happened to 829 children at Bessborough or where they are buried.

Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke said those affected by what happened in Bessborough must be front and centre when it comes to the future of the site.

He said the Government will engage compassionately with the victims and survivors and they will seek to "rectify the scars of the past".

Additional reporting Mícheál Lehane