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THE LONG OVERDUE report on the State’s involvement with the infamous Magdalen Laundries is to be published shortly.
Justice Minister Alan Shatter said he expects to receive the document within the next 10 days with a view to publication in about four weeks.
“I understand that the report will be submitted to me within 10 days by Senator McAleese,” Shatter said in a statement this afternoon. “As soon as I have had an opportunity to read what I understand to be a very substantial report, I will bring it to Government and it will then be published.
“I expect its publication within approximately four weeks.”
The Inter-Departmental Committee, chaired by Senator Martin McAleese, was set up to establish the facts of the State’s involvement with the institutions following a recommendation from the United Nations Committee Against Torture (UNCAT). That body said it was “gravely concerned” at the failure of the State to protect girls and women who were involuntarily confined between 1922 and 1996.
It was initially hoped that the final report would be completed by mid-2012 but a delay incurred because of the discovery of relevant information and documentation.
An independent inquiry will be considered by government on reading the final report.
A spokesperson for survivor advocacy group Justice for Magdelenes (JFM) told TheJournal.ie that they urge the government to publish “without delay”.
“Our main point, always, has been that an apology is long overdue and should have been brought forward before this process even started. Even more survivors would have come forward.
“Regardless, we are calling for an apology and redress.”
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Un-freaking-believable… 1996 … The church and successive Irish governments should all be jailed, stripped of pensions. It took the UN to force our government to respond. It took the European court of human rights to tell our government to introduce the upcoming legislation on abortion. They are all criminals, self serving church neanderthals. Grr them out of the country.
@Cal1 – maybe reflect on what you write before you click post button – you might realise how it makes you look.
Instead if criticising him, why not point out where he is factually wrong?
Because everything he posted looks spot on to me.
I’m aware of his IRA crap. Doesn’t changed the fact, in this instance, he is correct. Far too many people have gotten away with crimes as bad if not worse than the IRA.
Prove me wrong then. I’ll apologize when you give me proof I’m wrong.
I retract and apologize for my previous statement. Check your Facebook account linked in your Twitter for further details.
Mistaken identity.
Sean, i checked my twitter account and cannot find anything you are referring to? My facebook account is not linked to my twitter account, as far as i know? Unless someone is messing with it?
Please feel free to mail me directly on my twitter account, if you want to help me address some possible mix-up (which if it is the case, i could understand your possible mistaken identity). This is MY twitter account link:
https://twitter.com/Cal1Mooney
I do accept your apology, and i would strongly advise you to not make accusations similar to the one you made again to me or anyone else.
A timely reminder of the Catholic Church’s views on women and their control over their bodies.
As someone who who has witnessed the damaging effects of these institutions on my mother and her friends. To still see the pain and anger ridden in their faces so many years after the events in those days. The fact that the people carrying out these crimes are more then likely dead.
I really hope the report does justice to the women who suffered and had their freedom taken from them
I’m a born a reared catholic who’s now an atheist! More will be joining me when this report comes out! The church has the gall to judge us?? Shame on them all, from the taoisigh on down to the parish priests
In the past five years alone, three of the four orders involved in the Magdalene laundries have received a combined total of over €87 million from the State in revenue and capital funding. This contrasts sharply with the state’s treatment of the women imprisoned in these institutions, who received no pay for their years of work, are in receipt of no pension and were excluded from the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme.
This is unbearable. Is there any common sense and decency left in this state?
Every time I read any thing to do with child abuse and the Catholic Church, I am so glad I never sent my children to religious schools. Fu*k them .
Bit of an over reaction there !
When one compares any opinion to the response of the Catholic Church, it can only be an overreaction. So far, we’ve been totally underwhelmed by the Church’s attempt at contrition.
While of course condemning any wrongdoing – news of such reports always bring out the Church bashing mob with their “jail them all” nonsense. This makes it difficult to have any intelligent debate on the issue.
I agree. The blanket, opportunistic, Catholic Church bashing always comes out when such stories appear. It is usually from those who don’t fully understand the issues but enjoy joining the herd in attacking an organisation that is (rightly on my opinion) taking the heat for past wrongs. Were bad things done? Yes. Should everything be brought into the public light? Yes, fully and honestly. Should there be prosecutions now for historic wrongs? Yes, vigorously. Should we be allowed to forget? It is a tragic part of our nation’s history. Of course not?
I ask and answer my own questions lest there be any question that the usual church-bashing crew misrepresent my words. There are many many decent clergy working in the Catholic Church in Ireland today. It remains an organisation that plays an important role in the lives of thousands of people, many of whom I would assume are horrified with past wrongs.
However, this debate should focus first and foremost on the victims of those wrongs and not used as an opportunistic stick to beat an organisation that obviously means nothing to those haters.
Perhaps you are right. So lets stick to facts instead.
A large number of kids were raped and abused by members of the clergy. – Fact.
A cover up at the highest levels if the church happened. – Fact.
Some of the a users and rapists have been jailed. – Fact.
Not a single member involved on covering up these crimes has been jailed. – Fact.
And you wonder why people might get angry over this?
*some of the abusers.
I suggest some people watch Deliver Us From Evil, the 2006 Oscar-nominated documentary featuring Irish priest Oliver O’Grady from Tipperary who was a serial child-molester, was moved around from parish to parish by the then Bishop Roger Mahony (who later denied any knowledge of O’Grady’s abuses to ensure he was sufficiently distanced during his run to become Cardinal). All of this was done with the full knowledge of the papacy and pope Benedict refused to meet the victims. It’s the corruption, denial and ‘it’s really bad but…’ that goes all the way to the top that has people angry, and they have a right to be.
I should add the events occurred in Los Angeles, but O’Grady is back in Ireland, in prison for child pronography after he left his laptop on a flight to Dublin
have your say