Social Democrats councillor Gary Gannon has welcomed the announcement by the Lord Mayor of Dublin Mícheál MacDonncha that the city will host a two-day ‘Dublin Honours Magdalenes’ event next June.
Councillor Gannon has campaigned extensively for a proper State-funded consultation with the women on how best to commemorate their suffering in the Magdalene Laundries.
He said: “Dublin City Council is showing great initiative by hosting a two day event which will give Magdalene survivors an opportunity to get to know each other and discuss how their experiences can be best memorialised. This is an appropriate way to honour the recommendation of the 2013 report by Mr Justice Quirke that a gathering of the women be held before more of them die.
“I call upon the Department of Justice to finally shoulder its responsibilities to these women and their relatives. The Department needs to heed the request of the Magdalene women to contact the estimated 800 remaining survivors throughout the world so that they can all be invited to be part of this important gathering. The Department alone has the contact details of the survivors and it is incumbent upon it to play its part by formally reaching out to survivors and their families.
“The Department should also provide additional funding for the gathering to ensure that all appropriate expenses for survivors are covered. A €30,000 discretionary budget of councillors in the North Inner City area has already been put forward by Dublin City Council. Central government must play its part in efforts to ensure that an appropriate and meaningful gathering and consultation takes place.”
ENDS
6 March 2018