IRELAND
Irish Independent

By Louise Hogan and Shauna McLoughlin

Wednesday February 06 2013

SURVIVORS of the Magdalene Laundries branded the Government’s failure to apologise as “cynical” and “deeply disappointing”.

Advocacy group Justice for Magdalenes (JFM) described Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s response as a “half-hearted” acknowledgement of the pain and suffering in light of the report confirming state regulated institutions had allowed slavery within their walls.

JFM spokeswoman Claire McGettrick said the now elderly and vulnerable group of women deserved an apology and a transparent compensation scheme.

Ms McGettrick said if the government politicians were “people of honour” they would have apologised immediately. “By dragging out this process for a group of really vulnerable women who do not have any time left – it is cynical, cruel, it is prolonging the torture and it is simply not good enough.”