KENNY WELCOMES DELIVERANCE OF JUSTICE FOR MAGDALENES

Posted on June 26, 2013 7:33 PM   |   Permanent Link   

Seán Kenny, the Dublin Bay North Labour TD and member of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, has welcomed the announcement by the Government that a compensation scheme worth up to €58 million for the survivors of the Magdalene Laundries is to be made available.

"The Government has decided that this recommendation should be implemented immediately. Reconciliatory justice delayed is reconciliatory justice denied. This is something I very much welcome. The redress package is based on the recommendations of High Court judge Mr. Justice John Quirke. It provides for counselling services and medical cards for each of the women. The key recommendation in the report is the making of ex gratia payments to all Magdalene women to express the 'sincere nature of the State's reconciliatory intent' and 'in recognition of the States past failures'. The payments and other recommendations being implemented are also intended by way of restorative justice to address the women's 'needs and interests'. The amount paid to each woman will depend on the duration of her stay subject to a minimum and maximum threshold as set out in the table on page 10 and Appendix A, page 65. A woman who spent any time of three months or less in a Magdalen Laundry will receive an ex gratia lump sum payment of €11,500. The amount increases in such a way so that for one year spent in one of the Laundries it will be €20,500, and for five years it will be €68,500. The maximum payment is €100,000 for women who were in a Magdalen Laundry for 10 years or more. Crucially, payment of these sums of money is not dependent on proof of any hardship, injury or abuse."

"I have heard many concerns about the approach taken in the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002. In particular many of the victims of institutional abuse thought that the system was very legalistic and traumatic, and that too much money went to lawyers rather than to the victims themselves. Based on the experience of that scheme and on the views of the women themselves and their representatives, the Government looked for an approach that would ensure that a non-adversarial system would be introduced and that the monies allocated would be directed for the benefit of eligible applicants and not on legal fees and expenses."

"The former residents of the Magdalen Laundries have travelled a hard, long and emotional journey. They have done so with vision, courage and a sense of purpose. The publication of the McAleese Report marked completion of the first stage of that justice, the Taoiseach's apology in Dáil Éireann the historical second stage, and the third stage is today's publication of Judge Quirke's Report and its acceptance by Government. The former residents do not merely deserve justice - they are entitled to justice. Today, justice has been delivered to them."