Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McDonald for her question on this matter. It is only fair to say that after so many years of nothing having been done about this that the Government put in place a structure and process by which a conclusion could be brought to the issue of the Magdalen survivors and the sensitivity, hurt and trauma associated with it.

Mr. Justice Quirke has reported to the Minister. The Government has not yet considered the report. It was very clear from the contributions made here on the Magdalen issue that there was a clear wish that this should not be a long-term, adversarial, legal and complex process and that because of the age and health circumstances of a number of the women, it should be dealt with as fairly and speedily as possible.

I expect the report will come before the Government in the next two weeks. The Government will consider the recommendations and the views of the Minister for Justice and Equality on it and make its decision. The report can then be published. In publishing the report, the Government will hopefully be able to set out its view on how the process of dealing with the recommendations made by Mr. Justice Quirke can be applied. We hope to have the report in the next two weeks and, hopefully, it can be dealt with speedily and conclusively.

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