An Coimisiún Pleanála grants permission for Bessborough apartment development

An Coimisiún Pleanála has decided to allow an apartment development on the site of the former Bessborough Mother and Baby Home in Cork city to proceed, almost in its entirety.

The planning decision was raised in the Dáil during Leaders' Questions by Sinn Féin Deputy Eoin Ó Broin, who described the decision to allow a private developer to build on the site as shameful. Deputy Ó Broin noted that appeals had been lodged by survivors to prevent the development, following the refusal of demands for an oral hearing. He called on the Government to buy the Bessborough site to ensure a proper excavation and investigation of the land takes place, and to preserve the area as a site of national conscience.

Responding on behalf of the Government, the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, stated that the planning authority and the coimisiún are independent processes that had to run their course. Minister Burke acknowledged the trauma experienced by affected families and stated that the Government can now engage with survivors and people directly affected by the decision.

Minister Burke did not confirm whether the State would pursue a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the site, but stated that survivors and their families must be central to determining the future of the location. He also noted that in November 2022, the Minister for housing had written to local authorities, including Cork City Council, requesting that sensitive sites such as Bessborough be given adequate consideration in development plan processes.