Historian Catherine Corless, who exposed the Tuam Babies scandal, tells Donal O’Keeffe why she feels Tuam and Bessborough need to be excavated, and highlights Pope Francis’ apparent confusion about Tuam.

A report examining if it is possible to start taking DNA samples from survivors of the Tuam Mother and Baby Home to help identify hundreds of children who died there will be published "in the coming weeks".

Survivors of the Tuam mother and baby home have said the only way the causes of death of the children who died in the institution can be established is by holding inquests for every child.

The bodies of some of the children who died in Mother and Baby Homes were used for anatomical studies.

A report on burial practices at Ireland’s main mother and baby homes has been described as “substantial” and will be published once survivors groups have been briefed.

A report focusing on the burial arrangements of those who died in Mother and Baby Homes has been submitted to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

A car technology supplier has announced a €44m investment in research and development in the west of Ireland.

The Government has been asked to “widen its horizons” and offer DNA sampling to all former residents of mother and baby homes and related institutions.

Experts are looking at whether there is any legal block to gathering DNA from survivors of the Tuam Mother and Baby Home.

Historian Catherine Corless is calling on the commission set up to investigate Mother and Baby Homes to publish its report when it is completed.

Members of the Tuam Home Survivors Group have lost faith “in the process” after the Government recently granted a one-year extension to the commission, which had been due to report next month.

The survey is expected to last a number of days. It is understood that the survey is being carried out on foot of information received by the Commission from a member of the public.

The Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation has sought its second one-year extension, before it will publish its final report.

It was surprising to hear Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone say she was doing what she was doing with regard to the Tuam babies scandal because it was right.

Campaigners say the State could be in breach of international law for its involvement in the Tuam Mother and Baby home.

The State has been urged to ensure family members of children who were forcibly disappeared through adoption or unidentified burials while in institutional care are given information about their fate — and warned that a similar system in Spain constituted crimes against humanity.

Minister Katherine Zappone has shared what she said to Pope Francis when she met him outside Áras an Uachtaran on Saturday.

The Pope is to study a report into the Tuam mother and baby home given to him on his Irish visit.

A large crowd has gathered for a silent vigil in Co Galway to coincide with the Papal mass in Dublin.

The State seems terrified of what might happen if one mass grave is excavated but, without it, the living can never know peace, nor the dead rest, writes Donal O’Keeffe.

The Children's Minister is to visit Tuam later today.

A recent RTÉ documentary underlined how the poor treatment of women does not belong solely in the past, and there are modern injustices that must be addressed, says Linda Connolly.

Children’s minister Katherine Zappone is requesting a copy of research which states that new advanced genomic technologies should allow for the identification of remains at the site of the former Tuam Mother and Baby Home.

Michael Cunniffe, who had been missing from his home in Tuam, Co. Galway since Saturday night, has been located safe and well. Gardaí wish to thank the public for their assistance.

Fianna Fáil has given a cautious welcome to a new agreement for five 'Educate Together' schools in Tramore, Trim, New Ross, Tuam and Castlebar.

Historian Catherine Corless, whose work led to the discovery of a mass grave in Tuam, argues that the expertise exists to start DNA identification of the babies interred there

The author of a new book about the Tuam Mother and Baby Home has expressed deep concern over delays in its investigation.

A genetics expert said modern forensics could be used to test for DNA at the Tuam mother and baby home site.

Hundreds of children buried on the site of the Tuam mother and baby home may never be individually identified, unless the Government commits to a multimillion-euro forensic investigation.

A report into the former mother and baby home in Tuam says it may be impossible to identify some of the children buried there.

It would be foolish to imagine that, even after two decades of painful unearthing that we are aware of the all of the horrors inflicted on vulnerable children entrusted to religious organisations.

A new site in Tuam, Co Galway is to be scanned to see whether it contains an unmarked children's grave.

The HSE has refused to say why concerns about infant deaths and possible trafficking from Bessborough in Cork and the Tuam Mother and Baby Home were not reported to the then health minister.

Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone has said she is in favour of all mother and baby home sites being exhumed after giving the green light for the Tuam facility to be excavated.

I am determined that any action must respect the memory and dignity of the deceased children who lived their short lives in this home, writes Katherine Zappone.

The McAleese inquiry into Magdalene laundries was informed in 2012 about “disturbing” infant death rates in excess of 50% at the Tuam Mother and Baby Home.

Concerns have been raised about the new Adoption Bill, which is being debated in the Seanad this afternoon.

This Government will be judged on its reaction to the discovery of remains at the former mother and baby home in Tuam, according to the Children's Minister.

A cross-departmental group is to focus on sourcing international technical experts with a view to providing advice on the future of the site of the mother and baby home in Tuam.

Philomena Lee has said she is “appalled” by the revelations at Tuam, Co Galway, and said all institutions that dealt with unmarried women need to be examined.

The British state, in the UK and Ireland, had done little more than exterminate ‘unwanted’ babies, writes Victoria White.

Philomena Lee has said she is “appalled” by the revelations at Tuam, Co Galway, and said all institutions that dealt with unmarried women need to be examined.

We need a truth commission to enable survivors to tell their stories, in whatever way they want to, writes Fergus Finlay.

The Government is looking at seizing hospital and school lands owned by the church as a means of meeting the €1.6bn cost of sexual abuse redress payments.