Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to put on the record of the House two letters I received from ladies who were in An Grianán as I think they show the difficulties unique to that institution. A woman I will refer to as Anne wrote to me on behalf of "An Grianán girls" who were refused the ex gratiascheme. She was 11 years old when she was sent to An Grianán and put in time at the laundry. She did not put in the same amount of time as those residents called "the seniors" because she was a "junior". While other children played with their friends and did homework she was cleaning dirty prison sheets. She received a small sum from the redress board and did not know at the time that another scheme would emerge. She was precluded from availing of the later scheme as she had received money from the redress board.

I will call the second lady Maria. She spent three years in An Grianán and worked in the laundry. She says she did the very same work and was treated the same as the seniors. She was made handle filthy sheets and lift, push and pull this bedding. For various reasons, some very personal, she and a number of others applied late to the Residential Institutions Redress Board and are stuck in their situation. Maria said not to include An Grianán would be a great injustice to those refused by the redress board.

I ask that individual cases such as those I have outlined be considered.

See this speech in context