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Tuam Home Survivors Network slams public consultation report
Galway Bay fm newsroom – This week’s report on the public consultation over the future of the Tuam Mother and Baby Home site is a ‘worthless mechanism’ to delay and subvert the wishes of survivors.
That’s the reaction of the Tuam Home Survivors Network – which says the actions of Minister Katherine Zappone to date have done nothing but distract and obstruct the process.
A public consultation on the future of the Tuam Mother and Baby Home site at Athenry Road ended in March – and the findings were published on Friday.
The consultation, carried out by the County Council on behalf of Minister Katherine Zappone, revealed a polarised opinion on the future of the site.
Former residents of the home, as well as their families, expressed a preference for a full forensic excavation of the site along with DNA analysis.
However, local residents are largely advocating that the remains should not be disturbed and it should become a site of memorial instead.
In a statement to Galway Bay FM News, the Tuam Home Survivors Network now says the so-called consultative process is entirely worthless.
They claim it’s just a crudely designed mechanism to delay or prevent what clearly needs to be done.
The group believes the only moral and legal way to deal with the reality of the site is for an inquest to be convened and a full excavation ordered.
It also states that as far as forensic science will allow, efforts should be made to establish the causes of death in the hundreds of children buried there.
The Tuam Home Survivors Network adds that to date, Minister Katherine Zappone has done nothing but distract from – and obstruct – that process.
It adds that Minister Zappone is furthering a myth that she and the Government have power over the future of the site – when it is the Coroner for North Galway Dr. Val Costello who has jurisdiction.
The death has occurred of the former Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Martin Drennan, six years after he announced his retirement on health grounds. He was aged 78.
The Galway Diocesan Office confirmed the death this (Saturday) afternoon of the Bishop and Apostolic Administrator Emeritus, who oversaw the Diocese for eleven years.
Born on January 2, 1944 in Piltown, County Kilkenny, he studied for the priesthood at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, from where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1968. His brother Michael is also a priest.
Following his ordination, he continued his studies in Rome where he was awarded a Licentiate in both sacred theology and sacred scripture. He returned to Rome in 1980 to become spiritual director at the Pontifical Irish College for the next five years.
He became a lecturer in sacred scripture at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he continued to teach until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin in 1997 with responsibility for East Wicklow and South Dublin.
Following the retirement of Bishop James McLoughlin, Bishop Drennan was appointed Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora and he was installed on July 3, 2005 in Galway Cathedral.
Outgoing Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) is on course to retain her City Council seat – and top the poll in City East.
With 33% of the boxes tallied, Cllr O’Flaherty is polling strongly, particularly in Renmore.
Michael John Crowe is ahead of his running mate Alan Cheevers for the Fianna Fáil vote, according to the early figures, although that could change when Doughiska and Roscam boxes are opened.
The Green Party’s Claire Hillery is on about 7%, with Fine Gael on 10% and Sinn Fein on 5%.
The opening of boxes for the local elections began at 9am this morning in Leisureland when the tallymen (and women) kicked into gear.
As regards the Galway County Council elections, the smaller areas are being opened first which means that the four-seater Connemara North boxes will be first in the pecking order.
It will be followed by Gort-Kinvara (5 seats), Connemara South (5 seats), Athenry-Oranmore (7 seats), Ballinasloe (6 seats), Loughrea (5 seats) and finally Tuam (7 seats).
The boxes in these areas will be opened and tallied in that particular order before being transferred to the Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Threadneedle Road where the counting will commence around mid-morning.
That is when the fun will really begin – although the tallies should give a good indication as to where most of the seats are destined.
As regards the city, the Galway City East boxes were opened first, followed by Galway City Central and finally Galway City West. These votes will be transferred to the Westside Centre by around 11am for counting.
There are 39 seats on Galway County Council to be filled with 18 on Galway City Council. The City Council count is expected to conclude on Saturday night but the County Council count – with seven electoral areas to be filled – could well go into Monday.
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