‘Non-contentious’ McAleese quits Seanad days before Magdalene report

Martin McAleese, husband of the former president, quit the Seanad yesterday, just days before he unveils the findings of a major investigation into the Magdalene laundries scandal.

Mr McAleese was appointed to the upper house as one of Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s nominees in 2011, but kept a very low profile.

Mr McAleese, who rarely voted, did join other independents in voting against cuts to the respite care grant in last December’s budget.

Soon after being appointed to the upper house, Mr McAleese was asked to chair the committee investigating the Magdalene laundries.

That report is to be presented to Cabinet on Tuesday morning and made public the following day.

The former president is now living in Rome, where she is studying canon law.

Mr McAleese was active behind the scenes of the Northern Ireland peace process during his 14 years as presidential spouse between 1997 and 2011.

Colleagues in the Taoiseach-nominated senators group were understood to be annoyed that Mr McAleese did not contact them ahead of his decision to go. One member of the group said: “He never decompressed from the Áras, after 14 years being there.

“She [Mary] did; she went to Rome. He never has settled into the Seanad.

“When he did his speeches, he was always non-contentious.

“He’s a lot of diligence but he’s probably thinking to himself with the report coming out, why would you be a senator in the chamber?”

It is understood that Mr McAleese told Seanad colleagues that he was not planning to make any statement once the Magdalene laundries report is released next week.

Another senator added: “He could have told us [about leaving] in the group, given us some heads up. It’s unexpected, but not surprising. He found it quite difficult with Mary being based in Rome and him being home.

“The kids are around, but they’re older and in college.

“In the Seanad he was never comfortable; he was frustrated. There was always the scrutiny there of what you were doing or saying.”

Mr McAleese announced his plan to resign in a letter to Seanad cathaoirleach Paddy Burke, in which he said he hoped the Magdalene report would be a “public service”.

“During my time in the Seanad I dedicated myself to two main projects. The first, chairing the Inter-Departmental Committee’s investigation into State involvement with the Magdalene Laundries, and the second, continuing the work of bridge-building between North and South,” he wrote.