The Government, seeking redress for the Magdalene women, found a religious community unwilling to contribute, writes Conall Ó Fátharta.

A 68-year-old woman is suing two religious orders and the HSE over the alleged forced adoption of her four-month-old baby over 40 years ago.

Survivors of Magdalene laundries will begin to receive enhanced pensions and weekly top-up payments from the Department of Social Protection in the coming week, as part of the redress package designed by Mr Justice John Quirke.

The UN has again criticised the refusal by the four orders than ran the Magdalene laundries to offer any money towards compensating survivors.

The Government has thrown down the gauntlet to the four religious orders that ran the Magdalene Laundries, saying it expects them to contribute money towards the redress scheme — as two groups said they would not pay.

There was a mixed reaction among Magdalene Laundry survivors and representative groups to the recommendations in the Quirke Report.

Just one of the religious orders that ran Magdalene laundries has offered a specific apology to the women who suffered in their care.

Religious orders which operated the Magdalene laundries have insisted that they believe their role was to provide care and refuge.