An Coimisiún Pleanála grants permission for Bessborough Mother and Baby Home apartment development

An Coimisiún Pleanála has decided to grant planning permission for a private developer to construct apartments on the site of the former Bessborough Mother and Baby Home in Cork. The decision, which allows the development to proceed almost in its entirety, was confirmed during a Dáil debate where opposition and government representatives discussed the future of the sensitive site.

Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy Eoin Ó Broin criticized the decision to allow construction on the land, noting that appeals had been lodged by survivors to prevent the development. Deputy Ó Broin stated that 829 children who died at the institution remain unaccounted for, with no proper investigation of the land having taken place. He called on the Government to purchase the site to ensure an excavation can be carried out and to preserve the area as a site of national conscience.

In response, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke acknowledged the trauma experienced by affected families. While noting that An Coimisiún Pleanála is an independent planning authority whose processes must run their course, Minister Burke stated that future decisions regarding the site must be victim-centred.

Minister Burke highlighted that the Bessborough estate originally comprised a wider 200-acre area, with the current site spanning 60 acres. He noted that while he could not provide a precise commitment regarding a compulsory purchase order (CPO) or a future monument, the Government has previously requested local authorities, including Cork City Council, to give adequate and sensitive consideration to such sites during development plan processes.