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AN 80-YEAR-OLD woman who worked in a Magdalene Laundry for six years from the age of 11 has won her battle for compensation.
Mary Cavner, who now lives in the UK, worked at the Good Shepherd’s Convent in Co Cork following her father’s death.
Speaking to the BBC previously, Cavner said it was a shock being back in the outside world after leaving the Laundry, adding that “it really does affect you”.
News of the award was first reported by the Press Association. The amount was granted for unpaid work during her time at the laundry, the news wire service reported.
BBC has reported that the figure awarded is €76,000.
In February 2013, then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny issued a State apology to the women impacted by the Magdalene Laundries.
Cavner had applied for the Irish government’s Magdalene Laundries scheme in 2013 on the basis that she had worked at one of the laundries.
However, she was told the one she worked at didn’t fall under the records, according to her solicitor Chun Wong, who spoke on RTÉ Radio One’s News at One.
Cavner then made a complaint to the Irish Ombudsman in 2016.
In November 2017, the Ombudsman published a report regarding the scheme, in which it recommended that the scheme be extended. That recommendation was adopted by the Irish government in November 2018.
Cavner reapplied under an extended scheme in 2018.
“It wasn’t until May 2019 that Mary was finally given an award under the extended scheme,” Wong said.
Wong said that she hopes Cavner’s case will help other women in similar situations.
“Mary has had a very, very supportive family who have helped her every step of the way. She’s had access to legal representation, which a lot of women don’t have,” she said.
When asked how Cavner is feeling following the news of the compensation, Wong said “it’s still a bit surreal for her and her family”.
“It’s been very emotional, the journey … she’s spent longer fighting the Irish government than she had been in the Magdalene Laundry,” she said.
Wong added that Cavner was “never sure if she would ever see the compensation”.
“Her fear was always she would die before she got a penny of the money due to her,” she said.
“It’s never been about the money for Mary because no amount of money is ever going to be able to compensate her for the trauma that she went through as a child, but it’s about calling the Irish government to account.”
In a statement to TheJournal.ie, Ombudsman Peter Tyndall said: “Mary Cavner and other women who worked in Magdalene Laundries have waited a long time to receive redress.
“I very much welcome the decision of the Department of Justice in relation to Mary’s case and in the cases of other women who worked in Magdalene Laundries but were resident in adjoining institutions.”
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That is the nature of insurance sure
As opposed to the insurance against nature.
These guys sicken me the way they insist on guaranteeing margins for themselves. Imagine a bike rental guy in the Aran Islands insisting on charging all tourists €50 per hour because ‘last year was a rainy summer’. FBD tried to hike mine but I went to Chill. The industry have the public over a barrel with the compulsory nature of their product. Its analogous to me placing a bet with a bookie, losing, and then robbing the place at gunpoint to get my money back. Yet governments around the world are afraid to stop them. Banks have the same ‘risk is not for us to suffer’ attitude.
That is all to do with Governments obsession with Corpocracy – the interest of the consumer always plays seconds fiddle to Corporations – why could shareholders not be told there had been a bad winter and dividend increases are being withheld for once – rather than effectively steal the losses
back off consumers.
They already hiked renewal premiums on my car and home insurance and that is why I’m no longer an FBD customer.
You’re right Jayo….it’s on the consumer’s interest to play insurance companies off one and other….I got my renewal from FBD a few weeks ago, checked around for another quote elsewhere, which in almost ever instance was coming in quite a bit cheaper….rang them back and told them that I didn’t want to move but because it was cheaper with someone else, that I had no other option…..they end up matching the other quotes!! Happy days!!
Pretty sure it’s FBD not FDB as it’s spelled in your headline……
Thanks Craig, that’s fixed now.
No… still FDB. ….
Thanks Brian, it might take a minute to update on all browsers.
They lost €20 million but still made €5.6 million. So how much have they made in the last. 5 years…..?
A lot…..and yet the greedy feckers will still want an increase.
What’s more….they will be allowed.
DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!
5.6 million is not a huge profit for a company that size.
Gangsters…
Sure just ask the government to set up a usc2 to help you out I’m sure they’ll oblige
No Nonsense.ie becomes FU.ie
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