NEW technology means taking DNA from the remains of hundreds of babies buried in Tuam is possible, a leading genetics professor has said.

A government report last year had indicated that this wasn’t the case.

Though, Trinity College professor Aoife McLysaght has said that this claim was later corrected.

Ms McLysaght was speaking at an event with the Galway historian, Catherine Corless – who was awarded an honorary degree by the university yesterday.

Ms Corless was commended for uncovering the scandal of 796 children being buried in a mass grave at the former mother and baby home in Tuam.

“The original report was incorrect regarding the DNA, it said that it wasn’t possible basically to take DNA from the remains,” Ms McLysaght said.

“It is possible, we have the technology to take DNA from remains such as these.”

The professor added that family members would then be needed for DNA samples.

Addressing the scandal during a 90 minute conversation in the Edmund Burke Theatre, Ms Corless said that she would like to see proper burials for the remains of exhumed babies “that they were utterly and totally denied”.

She said that she would “like to see a little white coffin for all these children” and added that the babies were neglected and when they were ill saying that; “I really believe they were just let die”.

Ms Corless said there are at least 30 people looking to trace babies, and “for these 30 alone it’s crucial”.

“It’s a way of acknowledging,” she said.

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