IRELAND
Irish Independent
19 JULY 2013
It’s highly unlikely that the distressed hand-wringing from politicians will change the decision of the religious orders not to contribute to the Magdalene Laundries redress scheme.
Of course, the fact that the sisters have maintained a steely silence on the latest controversy, choosing instead to refer to past statements, makes it largely impossible for the general public to understand where they’re coming from.
In private the nuns who were involved are more than willing to share their views.
The report into the laundries by Senator Martin McAleese was seen by the orders as offering a comprehensive picture of the complex involvement between church, State and the wider society that led to appalling situation where thousands of women were committed to these institutions.
And the opening line of the McAleese Report is one frequently cited by the nuns: “there is no single or simple story of the Magdalene Laundries”.
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