Michael Kennedy (Dublin North, Fianna Fail)
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Question 129: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason his Department does not have records of girls referred to Magdalene laundries, in view of the facts that the Department of Education and Skills acknowledges that girls were placed in Magdalene laundries as late as 1970 and that the Department of Health and Children paid capitation grants for problem girls who were sent to Magdalene laundries as late as 1977; if his attention has been drawn to where such records might be held in either Government Departments, Government agencies or other bodies public or private; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22443/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The majority of females who entered or were placed in Magdalen Laundries in the period did so without any direct involvement of the State. Magdalen laundries were not State institutions and their records are a matter for the individual religious congregations concerned.

A small proportion of entrants to Magdalen Laundries came through the criminal justice system. While my Department, therefore, does not hold records that would show the total number of women who were sent to Magdalen Laundries, there are court records dealing with those cases involving female offenders where it was a condition that the offender reside in a particular institution including Magdalen laundries for a specified period. These records are not maintained in a manner that allows records relating to Magdalen laundries to be easily extracted. There are also incomplete records relating to the remand of 16-21 year old females charged with criminal offences to St Mary Magdalen's Asylum, Sean McDermott Street in the period 1960 to 1980 pending trial.

As regards records that might be held by other Departments or agencies, the Deputy will be aware that the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, myself and other Ministers met with various groups representing survivors of residential institutions for children on the 15th April last. The position of the women who had spent time in Magdalen Laundries was raised by representatives of some victims' groups. At that meeting the Taoiseach, on behalf of the Government, stated that Government Departments and Agencies would be willing to help with further enquiries in relation to those persons sent to Magdalen Laundries, including, where available, access to files etc., to the greatest extent possible.