'Don't make survivors jump through hoops for redress'

By Caroline Crawford
Irish Independent
June 11, 2014

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/dont-make-survivors-jump-through-hoops-for-redress-30344929.html

JP Rodgers from Williamstown who was born at the Mother and Baby Home in Tuam pictured at the Babies graveyard in Tuam.

A SURVIVOR of the Tuam mother-and-baby home has told how he wouldn't "crawl" to the State for any compensation after a large swathe of women in the Magdalene Laundries were barred from the redress scheme for those facilities.

JP Rodgers welcomed the news that a full inquiry would be held into the mother-and-baby homes but warned the Government that it must not make survivors "jump through hoops" for redress.

In the 1940s, Mr Rodgers' mother was moved from St Mary's home in Tuam and placed into the Magdalene Laundry in Galway when he was just 13 months old. Mr Rodgers (right) remained in the Tuam home until he was fostered out at the age of five. He believes it was a miracle that he survived.
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After highlighting his own mother's story, Mr Rodgers wrote to Mr Justice John Quirke regarding what compensation was available to the woman who had been placed in the Galway Laundry.

He revealed how in the past year he received a letter from former Justice Minister Alan Shatter informing him that many women housed in the Galway Laundry were not eligible for redress because no records existed to prove they had been in the home.

"The most disgraceful thing for me was the fact that women were barred from the scheme.

"That letter from Alan Shatter was the dagger yet again for me and I wouldn't crawl for a penny from the Government after that. I fear they will do the same thing again and make people jump through hoops for answers and assistance," he said.