‘reflect Again on Laundry Aid Cash’

By Jacob Lewis
Irish Sun
July 18, 2013

http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepage/news/5020607/Reflect-again-on-laundry-aid-cash.html

THE Taoiseach wants religious orders to reconsider after they REFUSED to pay into a compo fund for Magdalene laundry survivors.

And he echoed Justice Minister Alan Shatter that shockingly there’s NO legal way to force the four congregations that ran the workhouses to cough up.

Speaking about the scheme, which will cost between ˆ34.5million and ˆ58million, Enda Kenny said: “I can’t force them to (contribute). I can’t take away their charitable status that some have been talking about. This is an issue that they know about themselves and that’s the position.”

The Government announced the creation of the scheme last month and already 210 women who slaved in the Catholic-run laundries have applied for compensation.

And Mr Shatter has said he is ‘disappointed’ by the orders’ cold response, insisting they have an ethical duty to the women who toiled in such harsh conditions.