Sir, – In agreeing to implement one of the principal recommendations of Mr Justice Quirke's Magdalene report that all lump sum payments to survivors of the Magdalene laundries be exempt from tax, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan, in the course of Budget 2014, has made a virtue of doing what is right and moral (Breaking News, October 15th).
A more accurate reflection of the Government’s moral compass is the persistent refusal to include the Protestant victims of the Bethany Home in Dublin in the Residential Institutional Redress Act, 2002. It is absurd and indefensible that abused children of Bethany are less cherished by the State than children of similar institutions.
In Bethany, Protestant victims were denied compassion, dignity, affection, love and a sense of being cherished. They are still being denied this by the State. Shame on us all. – Yours, etc,
TOM COOPER,
Delaford Lawn,
Knocklyon,
Dublin 16.