TÁNAISTE EAMON GILMORE has said today that he and Taoiseach Enda Kenny intend to meet with Magdalene Laundry survivors next week to have a “direct discussion”.
Members of the Magdalene Survivors Together said they were left “devastated” when the Taoiseach stopped short of issuing a full apology and called on Kenny to meet with them.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Gilmore said they will have a discussion with the women “about what their needs are and about how government should respond to this report”.
“These women have suffered, what they endured was wrong, what happened in this country over those decades was appalling,” he said. “This government has heard these women and we have taken what they say on board seriously.”
He said the government decided to publish the report immediately and so it didn’t have time to consider its response. However he said the women are entitled to be listened to at the highest level of government.
“We are not going to let these women down,” he said. “We are going to do the right thing and we are going to have that open discussion with them.”
A government spokesperson told TheJournal.ie that the details of the meeting have yet to be confirmed.
Yesterday the Magdalene Survivors Together group said that they hoped the women would not be forgotten because of the events in the last few days surrounding the IBRC promissory note.
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