Anne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour) | Oireachtas source

They say the past is a foreign country and that they do things differently there. When it comes to the Magdalen laundries, I wish the church and State had done things differently. Wishing, however, does not make it so. We must live in the present where a meaningful apology is owed by the congregations and the State to so many women who spent part or most of their lives caught in the atmosphere of laundries described as cold with a rigid and uncompromising regime of physically demanding work and prayer with many instances of verbal censure, scoldings and even humiliating put-downs.

I met recently with Justice for Magdalenes to hear what the survivors need. They told me their stories which were difficult to tell and to hear. Their stories are more harrowing and descriptive of physical abuse than those contained in the McAleese report. It is important to state clearly that I believe the women. I will read the testimony of Kathleen, a survivor from the Good Shepherd laundry in Sundays Well. She described her first impressions of Sundays Well:

I was frightened like, going into the unknown... Going into a big laundry then the following morning, I was on one of the mangles and the sheets come along and they boiling hot and oh terrible, Perspex glass over you and sweat pouring off you. I drank my sweat, drank my sweat girl I did there. Then I was looking around at all the old women and saying, God, I am never going to be here all my life am I?.

This testimony is but one of the thousands that could be given. It is one that could have come from any woman here this evening or from a sister, mother, aunt or friend. I am saddened that the McAleese report does not contain the written submissions from Justice for Magdalenes. While I was at a meeting with the group yesterday, a text message came through from one of the survivors to say she was on page 90 of the report but had not found her own testimony. Unfortunately, she had to be told that her words were not included. An apology is certainly owed but more than that, redress must be made. Church and State must make what amends they can. Reparations in the form of appropriate compensation ought to be established in as fast and fair a way as possible.

I turn to address briefly the disappointment I feel that I am speaking on a Private Members' motion from a party that did nothing for these women. The hypocrisy of Fianna Fáil in calling for an apology and redress is quite galling. I have every faith the Government will do the right thing. When it comes to the Magdalen laundries, the past may be a foreign country but the moral crimes committed there will not be forgotten and reparations will be made. I reiterate that I believe the women.

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