Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

As the Deputy is aware, the Magdalene laundries were not State institutions. One of the ten Magdalene laundries was used by the Department of Justice for a period from 1960 onwards for the remand of 16 to 21 year old women for short periods pending trial. Since the foundation of the State, a condition of probation sometimes imposed by a court on women found to have committed criminal offences was that they reside in an institution such as a Magdalene laundry for a period of three years. The Department of Justice and Equality has not received any complaints from individuals charged with criminal offences who were remanded or sent on probation orders to any of the institutions that were run by religious orders.

On 9 November 2010, the Human Rights Commission published its assessment of the request by the Justice for Magdalenes group to carry out an inquiry under section 9 of the Human Rights Commission Act 2000 into the treatment of women and girls who resided in Magdalene laundries. The commission decided not to carry out a statutory inquiry itself, as it is entitled to do under the legislation which established it, and as was requested by the Justice for Magdalenes group. It recommended that a statutory mechanism be established to investigate the matters advanced by the Justice for Magdalenes group and, in appropriate cases, to grant redress where warranted. Its assessment was the subject of an Adjournment debate in the House.

The assessment raised issues for a range of Departments as well as for the four religious congregations which operated the Magdalene institutions. The Department of Justice and Equality has received proposals for a reparations scheme from the Justice for Magdalenes group, which are currently being considered, and the Department of Justice and Equality, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, whose role it is to provide legal advice, has prepared a draft submission for the Government on the matter, which is being considered by the Minister at present.

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