Facilities failed to break even and paid no wages to women

Magdalene Laundries operated on a subsistence or close to break-even basis despite the “common perception” that they were highly profitable.

Financial records of five of the laundries survived and were available for examination by the authors of the McAleese report.

Quite the opposite from making large profits, Martin McAleese said the laundries found it difficult to survive without support. He did, however, acknowledge that none of the women who worked in the laundry were paid a wage for their labour.