My Oral question was high on the list and so was taken by Minister Flanagan; I was urging that the Magdalen Laundries would be included in the Commission of Inquiry. The Irish Human Rights Commission and the Committee Against Torture have raised the continuing failure to investigate abuse in Magdalen laundries. There are many connections between mother and baby homes, industrial schools and Magdalen laundries. Justice for Magdalenes is an organisation that works with survivors of the Magdalen laundries and it submitted 793 pages of survivor testimony to the McAleese committee. However, none of this appeared in the report because the committee’s terms of reference related to State involvement with the institutions. As the Minister pointed out, the committee did this but unanswered questions remain. We now have an opportunity to collate the evidence and testimonies and get things right in order that there can be real closure.
Photo used under Creative Commons from William Murphy
