Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 31 January 2018
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality
Administration of Magdalen Restorative Justice Scheme: Report of Ombudsman
9:00 am
Mr. Jimmy Martin:
Because the scheme specifically excluded those who had been in industrial schools. One had to have been in a Magdalen institution. The key was not whether one had worked in a laundry. The key was whether one had been admitted to a Magdalen institution. As for the work element, it could have been work in a laundry or something else. If one had been in a different institution and worked in a laundry, under our interpretation of the scheme, that was not covered. The Government's decision was based on a report by the interdepartmental committee which addressed the question of industrial schools on the same site and stated they should not be included in the scheme. That is what the Government approved.
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