O’Keeffe under pressure to withdraw statement

MINISTER for Education Batt O’Keeffe was under pressure last night to admit that the state was involved in sending women to Magdalene Laundries after Department of Justice officials admitted to former Magdalene women that they and the Irish judiciary system sent women to the laundries.

Justice for Magdalenes (JFM) say this information contradicts the Mr O’Keeffe’s controversial statement last September that the state “did not refer individuals nor was it complicit in referring individuals to Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries”. Responding last night, Mr O’Keeffe said this “information wasn’t available” when he issued his letter.

JFM say that senior Department of Justice officials confirmed to them at a meeting earlier this week that following publication of the 1960 Criminal Justice Bill, the department placed women “on remand” at the Sean McDermott Street Magdalene Laundry (also known as the Gloucester Street laundry). JFM say the department also paid a capitation grant for each of these referred women.