Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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310. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the actions he has taken to implement recommendation No. 6 of the Magdalen commission report (details supplied). [42274/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am committed to honouring the commitments made to the Magdalen women. To date, 696 women have received ex-gratia payments from my Department at a cost of €26.2m.

In recommendation 6 of his Magdalen Commission Report, Judge Quirke - who devised the ex-gratia compensation scheme - refers to the issue of the various forms of memorialisation discussed with advocates and representative groups of the Magdalen survivors.

My officials had been engaging with their counterparts in Dublin City Council about a proposal to have a Magdalen memorial established as part of a significant commercial redevelopment on Sean McDermott Street, Dublin 1, the original site of the Gloucester Street Magdalen Institution. In September 2018, Dublin City Councillors voted against that particular commercial development.

The issue of memorialisation was also considered at the ‘Dublin Honours Magdalenes’ event in June 2018. Over 200 former residents of Magdalen institutions attended this event at the Mansion House, with The President of Ireland also hosting the women at his official residence. Although the event was organised by a voluntary group, funding and logistical support were provided by my Department.

The event was in line with another of the recommendations of Mr. Justice Quirke. It provided an opportunity for the women to meet and exchange contact details and make known their views on a suitable memorial. I have asked the event organisers to provide a report on the outcome of those consultations and I will give careful consideration to the views of the Magdalen women when received.