"At least this gives the girls involved a chance to get on with their lives and maybe get some peace. This will never leave us, having to engage solicitors, gather documents and fight and beg for something that we were entitled to. For myself, I feel I can have a bit of self-respect and dignity back."

The Department of Justice has said it now accepts that “on the balance of probabilities”, 14 women with whom it was in dispute did work in the High Park Magdalene Laundry post-1980.