Séamus McGrath: Protect Bessborough - Site of Conscience

Thanks very much Cathaoirleach and at the outset I do want to thank the Minister and the Government for facilitating the statements here today. It's absolutely necessary. As we all know, Bessborough represents a very dark chapter in our past. It's a very long chapter from 1922 to 1998 and indeed a recent chapter. It's not that long ago since Bessborough closed its doors. The history of what went on in Bessborough, some of it is known and some of it is unknown, but certainly there were horrors in relation to Bessborough and as I say some of that is documented but much of it is not. As we have outlined here today, 9,768 women and girls went through Bessborough and 8,938 children experienced Bessborough. That's over 18,000 human beings as Deputy Gould referred to earlier. 923 children died in Bessborough and as we know only a very tiny number of those are accounted for. So these facts are stark and very, very significant and I do acknowledge that the Commission of Investigation undertook work in relation to the Bessborough site and that has to be acknowledged. But it also concluded that it is likely there are further burial sites in relation to Bessborough and the fact that it said they have found no evidence as to where they may be located, in my view, should not in any way be used as a reason to suggest that the Bessborough site can be developed. We absolutely need to err on the side of caution in relation to this. 923 children died and that is a very, very stark figure in terms of our past as a country. And in terms of the role of Cork City Council and I note that there has now been a unanimous motion, as I understand it, in terms of the CPO of this site. I personally do not understand how the Council has not been more proactive over the years in terms of the Bessborough site. As someone who served on Cork County Council for many years, in the development plan Councillors have a lot of powers in terms of zoning of land and designating and categorising land and I genuinely do not understand how Bessborough was not protected in various city development plans over the years. I think that was a mistake, I think that was unfortunate, but that is where we are now. And as we know there is now a planning permission in place and as someone who's a housing spokesperson for my party, I'm speaking week in week out in relation to the need for housing supply, in relation to the housing crisis and how that is impacting on our citizens and it is impacting our citizens in a very acute way. And we need housing, absolutely, but there are limits to that and there are exceptions to that. And I think this particular situation is an exception to that and I have no difficulty in saying that as a housing spokesperson that I do not believe this should be developed. And I may come in for some criticism in relation to that, given my role as a housing spokesperson, but I absolutely stand over it. There are exceptions to everything and this is one of them, given the very dark past, as I said, that has occurred here in relation to Bessborough. And I am asking that the government does everything possible to find a different way forward here. And I think it is possible to find an alternative way forward here. As public representatives, we all know the reality. There is a planning permission, it's going to be a P, it is a P, to one commission on Planola and if that is allowed to follow through on its course, there will be a decision. So I think there is a window there for the government to consider what it can do in relation to this. And I acknowledge the options are limited, potentially, but I think there is scope there to look at this. And again, I do thank the Minister for being here and for listening to us today in relation to this. And there are family members of survivors and survivors with us here today in the public gallery and I acknowledge them making the journey from Cork to come up here as well to listen to the debate in the house here today, which is so important. This is a large site. As one deputy has said earlier, in my view, it should be a site of conscience. It should be a site that's protected, that's preserved. In respect of those who experience Bessborough and in respect of their family members, I believe we have a duty as public representatives to work together and collectively to try and find a way forward here that meets those needs better. And I am asking that the government does this. We need to err on the side of caution here and that is what I am asking happens. Thank you for your look.