Fall out from Magdalene abuse continues – Magdalene survivors group calls for boycott of church collections; Statements by Shatter and Kenny
Magdalene survivors group calls for boycott of church collections
Irish Examiner – Magdalene laundries survivors are calling on all Irish citizens to boycott mass and all church collections this weekend.
The call from the Magdalene Survivors Together group comes in the wake of the announcement by the four religious orders which ran the workhouses that they will not contribute financially to the redress scheme for the women who lived there.
The government insists it cannot force the orders to pay, meaning taxpayers will carry the burden.
The group says it wants all citizens to boycott mass and withhold donations to local churches this weekend to make it clear that the people are unhappy with the way the women are being treated.
Survivors plead for church boycott
Belfast Telegraph – Survivors of the Magdalene laundries have called on massgoers to boycott church and any collections this weekend.
Women detained in the Catholic church workhouses have criticised religious orders for refusing to contribute to a compensation scheme and urged the public to hit them in the pocket.
More than 260 women have applied for the scheme, announced by the Government last month.
Madgalene survivor Marina Gambold appealed to the public to back their fight for justice.
“It is not a big ask to call on people living in Ireland to support us and what we have suggested is a simple but powerful way of sending a clear message to the religious orders to do the right thing,” she said.
“Why can’t they do the right thing? Why do they want to make us suffer like this? They made us suffer behind closed doors many years ago, and now they are doing it in public that is shocking, disappointing and disgusting.”
Julie McClure, who was detained at Stanhope Street, Dublin, said she worked day and night for the institution. She added: “What happened to us was a gross violation of our personal and fundamental human rights. Nobody seems to care that all we are asking is to be supported. Why can’t the Government do that?”
Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Justice Minister Alan Shatter have urged the religious orders – The Good Shepherd Sisters, The Sisters of Our Lady of Charity, The Sisters of Mercy and The Sisters of Charity – to consider contributing to the fund, which is expected to cost the state between 34.5 million and 58 million euro.
Campaign group Magdalene Survivors Together said the women want the public to help them get the orders to take responsibility. Spokesman Steven O’ Riordan also called on the Government to lift the Statute of Limitations ban in women taking future legal action if they sign up to the scheme. He said: “After the shocking and pathetic response from the Government, the women are now seeking the assistance of all decent citizens of this country to stand behind them.”
The Department of Justice later confirmed that 290 application forms have been received for processing to date.
Shatter: Religious orders have a moral and ethical obligation to contribute to Magdalene survivors
The minister said it would not be lawful to remove the religious orders charitable status and there’s no scope to take legal action against those who refuse to contribute to the compensation scheme.
Enda Kenny: Religious orders should reflect on making a monetary contribution to Magdalenes
The religious orders who were responsible for the Magdalene Laundries should give money towards the compensation scheme, but Enda Kenny says he won’t go down the legal route to ensure they do.