Written answers

Thursday, 23 February 2017

Department of Justice and Equality

Magdalen Laundries

Photo of Joan CollinsJoan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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99. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she has established the fund to provide access for Magdalen laundries survivors to complementary therapies under the ex gratia scheme (details supplied). [9383/17]

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Magdalen Laundries Restorative Justice Ex Gratia Scheme was set up 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 Training School and later also decided to include a 12th institution, the Training School in Summerhill..

The Quirke Report recommended that the Magdalen women should receive the same range of medical services as those provided to women who were infected by Hepatitis C as a result of State actions. This has happened. In his report Judge Quirke noted that not all of the services provided to the Hep C victims may be directly relevant to the Magdalen women and, so for example,Hep C-specific medicines and treatments do not apply to the Magdalen women.

Judge Quirke made no mention of alternative therapies in his report nor are they mentioned in theHealth (Amendment) Act 1996 or the Redress for Women Resident in Certain Institutions Act, 2015, which made specific medical provision for Hepatitis C and Magdalen women respectively. The question of alternative therapies has been raised before, including in a Dáil Question from this Deputy on 24 March, 2015. If a case were to be made for the provision of effective and proven alternative medical therapy services for Magdalen women, such provision being on an administrative basis outside of the aforementioned legislation, I would consult with my colleague the Minister for Health on the request.

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