Just 72 of Magdalene women to receive maximum redress of €100,000

By Conall ó Fátharta
Irish Examiner
February 11, 2015

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/just-72-of-magdalene-women-to-receive-maximum-redress-of-100000-311893.html

Just 72 of the almost 500 Magdalene survivors who have accepted redress will get the maximum amount of €100,000.

Responding to a series of parliamentary questions, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said 94 applications for redress have been refused, as the women were not in one of the 12 specified institutions.

Under Justice John Quirke’s redress scheme, Magdalene survivors are to receive cash payments ranging between €11,500 (if their duration of stay was three months or less) to €100,000 (for duration of stay of 10 years or more).

Ms Fitzgerald declined to say how many applicants received lesser amounts than they applied for, due to inaccurate and/or missing records.

However, she said the records of the religious orders “are not regarded as decisive, they are just one factor that is taken into consideration”.

She said the vast majority of women seek independent legal advice before accepting any offer.

“For cases where there are missing records or no records available, my officials have commenced a process whereby those women are given the opportunity to meet with my officials and provide oral testimony about their time in an institution. These meetings are proving to be informative and productive. Each application is assessed on an individual basis taking into account any available records or documents, as well as the applicant’s testimony,” she said.

Ms Fitzgerald also stressed that if a survivor disagrees with the assessment, she can avail of an internal review process and an independent appeal process which involves a review by Ombudsman’s Office.

Claire McGettrick of Justice For Magdalenes Research (JFMR) said that without any concrete information as to the number of survivors accepting lesser amounts than they applied for “it is impossible to evaluate the success or failure of the scheme and most importantly, its effectiveness in improving the lives of Magdalene survivors”.

Ms McGettrick said JFMR has struggled to get clear answers from Ms Fitzgerald relating to the interview process.

“We are also concerned that the minister continues to refer to the interview process, whereby survivors can offer oral testimony to department officials. However there is no clear guide to this process and the minister has repeatedly declined to provide clear answers to questions from JFMR about this process,” she said