Anger As Another Magdalene Survivor Dies without Receiving Compensation

By Patsy McGarry
Irish Times
October 23, 2013

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/anger-as-another-magdalene-survivor-dies-without-receiving-compensation-1.1569805

Magdalene survivor Mary Smyth: ‘The Government are dragging their heels on the issue.’ Photograph: Julien Behal/PA Wire

The death of another woman who had been in a Magdalene laundry has been met with fury and upset by a representative group who have questioned the ongoing delay in payment of compensation to the women.

Steven O’Riordan of Magdalene Survivors Together has appealed to the Government to begin paying out the compensation “immediately”.

He pointed out that since the State apology to the women last February the group had seen “two of its members pass way without getting their full entitlement”.

‘Frail’

Magdalene survivor Mary Smyth said “the Government are dragging their heels on the issue; they know that most of the women are frail”.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice told The Irish Times yesterday that on June 25th “the Government approved the immediate implementation of a cash lump sum payments scheme based on duration of stay in laundries recommended by Judge (John) Quirke and tasked an Interdepartmental Group with giving further detailed consideration to the steps necessary to implement the other recommendations, some of which are complicated and will require legislation”.

He said “over 590 applications have been received to date and are being processed”.

“It is expected that the first offers of payments of a lump sum will issue within 4-6 weeks of the Government decision.”