Monthly Archives: October 2009 - Page 2

Victims of abuse meet bishops in Maynooth

Posted by on 08/10/2009 25 comments

Thursday, October 8, 2009

PATSY McGARRY, Religious Affairs Correspondent

AN UNPRECEDENTED meeting yesterday between the Irish Bishops’ Conference and representatives of abuse victims has been described as a “gigantic step forward” by Michael O’Brien of the Right to Peace group.
Catholic primate Cardinal Seán Brady described the meeting in St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, as “the first step of many steps”.

The Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, said “it was the most significant meeting I have ever attended in that room. It was extraordinary”.

It was “a very momentous, very historic occasion”, John Kelly of Soca Ireland (Survivors of Child Abuse) said.

The meeting, held at the request of former residents’ groups, began at 10am yesterday and ended at approximately 12.45pm.

Afterwards Mr Kelly, Mr O’Brien, Tom Hayes of the Alliance group and Christy Heaphy of the Cork-based Right of Place, met the media accompanied by Cardinal Brady and Archbishop Martin.

Mr O’Brien said they requested that the bishops set up a subcommittee to begin a dialogue with the groups as they moved towards closure on the issue.

They had also requested the setting up of a benevolent fund by the bishops to help people who may have received redress but who still needed help in areas such as education and counselling.

They had also asked the bishops to make representations to the Taoiseach to speed up dealings with religious congregations towards the setting up of a new trust, he said.

Mr Kelly explained that they had given a full account of their experiences to the bishops, which must have been “very hard to listen to”.

They asked that the Catholic Church as a whole be more responsive to survivors, he said.

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Redress for Magdalen laundry inmates

Posted by on 02/10/2009 20 comments

Friday, October 2, 2009

Madam,

Having listened over the past few days to Liveline on RTÉ Radio 1 dealing with the dreadful conditions those “fallen” women endured under these nuns, I am almost in tears.

You see, I was one of those babies. When I hear how my mother, may she rest in peace, and others were treated, I feel very angry with the type of society I was born and reared in.

Today this Government perpetuates this misery on these women by forcing them to seek documentation to prove they were slaves in these laundries. Changing the terminology from “employees” to “workers” makes very little difference.

One lady did admit she received remuneration in the form of a packet of mint drops and a holy picture. Does this absolve Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe and the Government of all financial and moral responsibilities?

Today, this Government can hand out billions to bail out banks and their developer friends. They pay out millions to individuals in handshakes and ministerial expenses, yet when it comes to these poor unfortunate women, who were made work for nothing in terrible conditions for decades, they turn their backs on them.

Is there any justice in this society of ours?

Incidentally, I met my mother for the first time when I was 35 years of age . . . although it was no thanks to the nuns of the Sacred Heart Convent in Bessborough, Blackrock, Co Cork.
Yours etc,

LEO ARMSTRONG,
Letters to the Editor, Irish Times.