Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I too commend Sinn Féin for introducing this motion.

I also find it difficult to understand why the House is not in full agreement on the motion. I have no doubt that everyone in the House must find it difficult to read the stories of the people concerned, the survivors. The stark submission from the Magdalene group indicates that the State was involved in sending women and girls to the Magdalene laundries and ensuring that they remained there, in most cases without any statutory basis for doing so. The State regarded the Magdalene laundries as an opportunity to deal with various social problems such illegitimacy, poverty, homelessness, disability, so-called eccentric behaviour, domestic and sexual abuse, youth crime and infanticide. It failed to make its own provision for these problems and came to rely on the availability of the Magdalene institutions instead.

I find it harrowing also to note the timetable of events. The Justice for Magdalenes group originally submitted its draft to the Government in July 2009. It is three years since the Labour Party supported the redress scheme. In December 2009 the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform acknowledged that the State was complicit in referring women to Magdalene laundries. In March 2011, when the Government came to power, the group submitted a restorative justice and reparation scheme to it, updating the scheme published in July 2009. Fifteen months ago the UN Committee against Torture gave the State one year to obtain redress for survivors. I find it difficult to credit the Minister of State's assertion last night that the call for an apology and a redress scheme was premature. I accept that the wheels of democracy turn slowly but it was miraculous how quickly we were able to organise the bank bailout. I accept Rome was not built in a day, but an immediate apology is required.

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