An Grianán not included in scheme

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has reiterated that An Grianán “served a different purpose” to High Park Magdalene laundry — despite HSE evidence stating they were “one and the same thing”.

The revelation was contained in a HSE memo sent by the then assistant director of the Children and Family Services Phil Garland, to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs representative on the McAleese committee, Denis O’Sullivan, and the national director of the Children and Family Services at the HSE, Gordon Jeyes, on June 26, 2012, while the HSE was examining the laundries issue as part of the McAleese inquiry.

In the memo, Mr Garland points out the HSE had uncovered evidence which showed “quite categorically” An Grianán and High Park Magdalene Laundry, which were on the same site in Drumcondra in Dublin, were “to all intents and purposes one and the same thing”.

Former residents of An Grianán, which was excluded from the scope of the McAleese inquiry, were denied access to the redress scheme as it was not considered a Magdalene laundry. Residents of High Park were included in the scheme.

Two other institutions not previously considered laundries — St Mary’s Training Centres in Stanhope St, Dublin; and Summerhill — were included in the redress scheme.

However, in response to a parliamentary question, Ms Fitzgerald again reiterated her view that An Grianán “served a different purpose” to the High Park laundry.

“The different nature of An Grianan was recognised by its inclusion in the Residential Institutions Redress Board Scheme. Girls who were admitted to An Grianan were entitled to full compensation for the entire duration of their stay under the Residential Institutions Redress Board Scheme,” she said.

Ms Fitzgerald said the training centre could not be included in the Magdalene Redress scheme as “otherwise all the individuals concerned would receive double compensation for the full duration of the time spent in the one institution”.

However, Claire McGettrick of Justice for Magdalene Research said not all residents knew they were entitled to compensation under the previous redress scheme and accused the Government of denying justice to victims of forced labour.

“Even those who previously recovered some compensation for their time in An Grianan were not compensated for forced labour and now the Government is continuing to deny them the pension benefits and health and community care they need,” she said.