Forensic excavation works at the site of the former Tuam Mother and Baby Home is to get underway on Monday next.

Director of the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention at Tuam (ODAIT), Daniel MacSweeney, has confirmed that a four-week preparation period will commence next week, ahead of the exhumation of up to 796 children believed to be interred at the site.

Mr MacSweeney said families of those who were in the Home, and survivors, have been informed of the timeline of works and invited to attend a Family and Survivors Day to view the works in the coming weeks.

Once works have commenced, the site will be sealed to maintain forensic control and “protect the integrity of the examination”. Ahead of this, families and survivors have been encouraged to visit the site.

“From the start of works on June 16, the entire site, including the memorial garden, will be accessible only to staff carrying out the works and 24-hour security monitoring will be in place,” said Mr MacSweeney.

“The initial four weeks will involve setting up the site, including the installation of 2.4-metre hoarding around the perimeter. These measures are necessary to ensure the site’s forensic integrity and to enable us to carry out the works to the highest international standards that govern the excavation and recovery programme.”

Mr MacSweeney confirmed that the excavation will take approximately two years to conclude, describing it as a “unique and incredibly complex excavation”.

“The final timetable will depend on many variables, some of which may only become fully clear as the work progresses.

“As the site will be under forensic control at all times during the excavation, we have encouraged families and survivors to visit the site, if they wished to do so, in recent weeks. In addition, we are putting in a place plans to facilitate a day for family members and survivors to include a visit to the perimeter of the forensically controlled site to view the works being undertaken. This will take place in the coming weeks,” said Mr MacSweeney.

Local historian, Catherine Corless, whose research revealed the appalling conditions in which these children were buried, estimated that 796 children died at the home, which was owned by Galway County Council and operated, between 1925 and 1961, by the Catholic Religious Order, Bons Secours.

DNA sampling from eligible family members defined as a child, parent, sibling, half-sibling, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew, grandniece, or grandnephew, will eventually be used to identify the remains recovered.

Samples from those who are vulnerable or elderly are already being collected, while the full identification programme is due to open this year.

Pictured: Daniel MacSweeney: Unique and incredibly complex excavation.