Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 September 2013
42. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if, under the recent Quirke report recommendations with regard to the Magdalene laundries, there is any scope to examine individual cases, for example, whereby the woman who attended a laundry is now deceased but where they have surviving children with special needs requiring long term care; and if any provision exists within such situations.. [34271/13]
View answerJudge Quirke stated specifically, with regard to the scheme he proposed, that "it does not contemplate payments to persons who may have been indirectly or otherwise affected by the admission of those women to and their work within a designated laundry." (report para. 3.12).
In his 7th Recommendation - eligibility and qualification process - he made it clear that he only contemplated one situation where a payment should be made in the case of a deceased woman "where a written expression of interest has been provided to the State by or on behalf of a Magdalen woman who was alive on or after the 19th February 2013 then that woman will be eligible for consideration to be included within the Scheme." but even then he stated "additional income ex gratia (payable to women entitled to payments in excess of €50,000) will not accrue to the benefit of the estate of any Magdalen woman ".
There is no scope under the recommendations of Judge Quirke for payments to be made to the surviving children of a deceased woman who was in a Magdalen laundry.
