A man jailed for attacking two men in a hotel, after a woman he had been seeing alleged she had been raped, has brought a High Court challenge over a failure to grant him ‘community release’ from prison.

The Taoiseach has apologised on behalf of the State to the victims of the Magdalene Laundries who he said were “wholly blameless” for their ordeal which he described as “the country’s terrible secret”.

Fianna Fáil has called for a forum to openly record the hundreds of testimonies of survivors of the Magdalene Laundries while others said the issue of redress for women should not be delayed.

THE State could be exposed to major liability over the wardship system operated by the Courts which removes the decision-making process of people with mental disabilities, the President of the Law Reform Commission, Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness warned yesterday.