Work begins to excavate burial site of babies at Tuam mother and baby home

The plan to recover the children's remains in the former Bons Secours home for mostly unmarried mothers in Tuam comes under the Burial Act, which allows for the entire site in the middle of the Dublin Road housing estate to be excavated. File photo: Padraig O'Reilly

Preliminary works have started at the site where hundreds of babies are believed to be buried in Tuam, Co Galway.

The works, which are in preparation for a full excavation due to start early next year, began on Monday.