Preliminary works are set to begin today to facilitate the excavation of the former mother and baby home in Tuam, Co Galway.

The initial phase of the excavation process will span four weeks before the full-scale dig commences.

This marks a significant milestone in the ongoing endeavor to identify the remains of infants who passed away at the home between 1925 and 1961.

The site, located in the Dublin Road estate in Tuam, will be sealed off and placed under forensic control over the next four weeks.

This will involve the erection of a 2.4-meter high hoarding around the land in question, as well as the setup of necessary facilities to kickstart the formal excavation process.

The decision to restrict access to the site comes after comprehensive preparatory surveys conducted in recent months, which included the use of ground-penetrating radar, soil sampling, and topographical analysis.

In 2017, the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes discovered that a substantial number of human remains were interred in and around a former sewage facility at the home, following research by local historian Catherine Corless that brought the issue to global attention in 2014.

The investigation also uncovered the absence of burial records for 796 infants and young children who lost their lives during the 36 years of the home's operation.