Taoiseach: Magdalene payout details within two weeks

11 June 2013

Enda Kenny said he expects Justice Minister Alan Shatter to bring the report to Cabinet this month when the Government will consider recommendations for a redress process.

"Once the process is decided upon, there will be no delay on the Government's behalf in following through on this," Mr Kenny said.

"I do hope it will be possible, together with the women involved, to deal with that process and deal with it in their interests."

The Taoiseach rejected accusations he was "playing games" with the lives of the victims – many of whom are elderly and infirm – by having taken so long to consider the report by retired High Court judge John Quirke.

Mr Shatter received the report a month ago. It is understood to include recommendations for a reconciliation forum between Magdalene survivors and the four religious orders that ran the Catholic institutions.

Other mediation measures are reportedly proposed to help establish what financial compensation will be made to the survivors.

Mr Kenny said he wanted to ensure the Government has time to consider the compensation scheme.

"The report will come to Government in the next two weeks. The Government will consider the recommendations of the report and the views of the minister for justice in it, and the Government will make its decision," he said.

He said the report would be published "immediately" after it is brought to Cabinet.

The Taoiseach made a tearful apology to the Magdalene survivors in February after an inquiry from former senator Martin McAleese revealed the state had a hand in 24% of admissions to the laundries.

His probe found that 10,000 women were incarcerated in the workhouses, run by nuns from four religious orders, for a myriad of reasons – from petty crime to poverty, disability or pregnancy outside marriage.

The last laundry closed in 1996, at Sean MacDermott Street in Dublin's north inner city.

"Having waited some 60 or 70 years, I think it's only right and proper that this deserves real consideration by the minister for justice," Mr Kenny said.

Follow us for the latest updates & news

Recent News

Northern Ireland exam board boss wins £100,000 settlement

Northern Ireland’s Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) has paid a substantial settlement to its former interim chief executive who complained of sex, race and age discrimination and constructive dismissal. The sum paid to Margaret Farragher,...

Catriona Crumlish v Health Service Executive – Court of Appeal

On Oct. 15th, The Court of Appeal upheld the High Court decision against Caitriona Crumlish in her claim against Letterkenny University hospital. The plaintiff alleged that there was a failure to detect and diagnose breast cancer in May 2017 resulting in an alleged...

Recent Articles

Psychological Injury

Nervous Shock I The law allows recovery of damages for so called nervous shock, within certain parameters and subject to limitations.  Nervous shock is the most commonly used legal label for psychiatric or psychological injury. Psychiatric injuries include...

Public Authorities and Negligence

Powers and Duties In broad terms, public authorities are subject to civil liability for negligence and other civil wrongs, in the same way as private individuals and companies.  The State and other public bodies are responsible for the actions and omissions of...

Duty of Care (Part 2)

Limits to Neighbour Principle The famous neighbour principle re-stated the general basis of liability in negligence. It stated, that “you must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your...

Duty of Care (Part 1)

Meaning of Negligence I Negligence is used in a number of senses.  In one sense, it refers to a person’s state of mind.  An act is negligent, where it is done without giving due weight to the risks involved.  A person  (and his state of mind) may...

Join our Panel

You May Also Like...