Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 February 2017
90. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the plans in place to ensure that artefacts and paperwork contained in the former Magdalen laundry building at Donnybrook, Dublin 4, are gathered and preserved. [9066/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn Inter-Departmental Committee was set up in 2011 to establish the facts of the State's involvement with the Magdalen Laundries. It was chaired by then Senator Martin McAleese and it is commonly referred to as the McAleese report. The material in the Report relates to 10 different institutions which were run by 4 different Orders of nuns over a period of 70 years.
Chapter 3 of the McAleese Report gives the history of the Donnybrook Magdalene Laundry. The sisters of Charity took over the Donnybrook Laundry in 1833. It was re-located to Donnybrook Castle in 1837 and was re-named St. Mary Magdalen's Asylum. The former Magdalen Laundry building at Donnybrook is not and never was in State ownership. The State therefore does not have access to its artefacts or paperwork. In 1992 the premises was sold to a private company which operated a commercial laundry there until 2006.
