The Government has announced a twin-track approach to investigating
the circumstances of the women and girls who resided in the Magdalene
Laundries.
It has promised to 'fully establish the true facts and circumstances' relating to the laundries.
This evening's Cabinet meeting agreed to establish an
inter-departmental committee, chaired by an independent person, to
clarify the State's interaction with the laundries, which is to make an
initial report within three months.
Separately, Minister for Justice Alan Shatter and Minister of State
Kathleen Lynch are to meet with groups of residents to ensure all
available information will be shared.
The Government has also pledged to find out how many people are still
in the care of the religious, having started that care in the
laundries.
It said a 'restorative and reconciliation process and the structure
that might be utilised to facilitate such process' will also be put in
place.
Last week, the UN Committee Against Torture said the Government
should establish an independent statutory inquiry into allegations of
abuse in the ten laundries where women and girls worked without pay.
Responding to the ruling, the four orders of nuns who ran the
residential institutions said they would be willing to co-operate with
any inquiry that would bring 'greater clarity, understanding, healing
and justice in the interests of all the women involved.'
Minister Shatter welcomed the statement as 'an important step forward'.
Most of the laundries closed in the 1960s.