Public Disapproval Mounts Over Magdalenes

Last Tuesday, a group of protestors met in front of the Sisters of Mercy Dublin HQ, with demands that the order apologise and pay restitution to the Magdalene survivors. There was no counter demonstration. The fund is expected to cost up to 58 million euro, and the Taoiseach as expressed he is “Disappointed” that the order has not made the funds available, and asked them to reflect on the decision. It is not clear at this time how much Kenny expected them to pay. To date, the Institutional Redress Board, set up to organise the compensation of survivors of institutional abuse, is expected to pay out 1.46 billion euro excluding the Magdalene fund, at least half of which must be paid by the congregations.

However the money might not be the only thing withheld from the survivors. In a statement on The God Slot on RTE, the orders responsible for the laundries claim they have nothing to apologise for. This statement stands to undermine the possibility of reconciliation, as reconciliation cannot occur without admission of guilt. This decision came in spite of Enda Kenny’s own apology to the survivors earlier this year.

“Just another of the myriad examples of why the best road in the country is the one to Dublin Airport. This place is beyond change and hope. It's all chains and hype.”

The enormity of the statement has met with swift disapproval from the public, such as the commentator above. Kenny’s refusal to enter legal pursuit of the sisters has been described as “Crocodile Tears”, and that it does not go far enough. Another commentator said in the times “Without an apology there can be no justice”. More developments on the issue are expected to stretch into the coming weeks.