Written answers

Thursday, 16 February 2017

Department of Justice and Equality

Magdalen Laundries Report

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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22. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps her Department will take to to ensure an interpretation of the Magdalen redress scheme that is consistent with the State's apology to the women and to ensure that all Magdalen women, including those exploited as children, receive the redress they deserve. [7679/17]

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Magdalen Laundries Restorative Justice Ex Gratia Scheme was initiated following the publication of the report in February, 2013 of an Inter-Departmental Committee set up to establish the facts of the State's involvement with the Magdalen Laundries. It was chaired by then Senator Martin McAleese and it is commonly referred to as the McAleese report. The material in the Report relates to 10 different institutions which were run by 4 different Orders of nuns over a period of 70 years. Although there was no finding in the McAleese Report which indicated that the State had any liability in the matter, following the report’s publication the Taoiseach issued a State apology to the women. Mr. Justice Quirke was asked by the Government to make recommendations on an appropriate redress scheme for those who were in the 10 Magdalen laundries that were the subject of the McAleese Report. The Government also included in the scheme the laundry that was attached to Stanhope Street Domestic Training School and later also decided to include a 12th institution, the Domestic Training School in Summerhill.

It should be noted that the terms of the Scheme specifically exclude institutions that are covered by the Residential Institutions Redress Board Scheme. (The Residential Institutions Redress Board Scheme was established to provide awards for persons who, as children, were abused.)

I will take this opportunity to give some background to the operation of the Scheme. Each application is assessed on an individual basis taking into account any available records, documents and statements including the applicant's testimony. Processing of all applications under the Scheme operates on the premise that the testimony of the applicant is correct and the officers processing the application then seek to verify the application by checking appropriate records. If there are records and they are consistent with the application, then an offer is made. If there is a discrepancy, or in cases where the religious congregations have an incomplete or no record for an applicant, my officials must carry out a thorough examination, checking whatever records are available from other departments, agencies and institutions to support the application. The records of the religious congregations are not regarded as decisive; they are just one factor that is taken into consideration.

The Scheme provides for lump sum payments varying from €11,500 to €100,000 depending on the length of stay in the institution concerned. Further, each woman is entitled to a top-up payment to bring her weekly income from the Irish State up to the equivalent of the Irish Contributory Pension. To date, over €25 million has been paid out to 669 women under the Scheme.

The Redress for Women Resident in Certain Institutions Act 2015 provided for certain services to be made available by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to the women. The services, which are free of charge, include GP services, prescribed drugs, medicines, aids and appliances, dental, ophthalmic and aural services, home support, home nursing, counselling services, chiropody, podiatry and physiotherapy. The HSE has administrative arrangements in place for health and social services for women living outside Ireland.

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