Sir, – The refusal of Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn to allow Bethany Home residents access to the State’s redress scheme is insupportable (Breaking News, June 22nd). So too is the refusal by the Minister for Justice to allow Senator Martin McAleese to include it in his review of the State’s relationship to the Magdalene laundries.
The institutions are comparable in being denied access to the redress scheme. The Justice for Magadalenes advocacy group supports Bethany’s inclusion within Senator McAleese’s remit.
Former residents would have to show that the State was responsible for neglect, illness and death in order to become eligible for redress.
We are confident that we can show that the State neglected its duty of regulatory care in the Bethany Home. The State ignored internal and external warnings about conditions in the home. Its only substantive response in 1939 was to state that it was “well known” that illegitimate children were “delicate” and to force the home to stop admitting Roman Catholics. The State evenly regulated the sectarianism inherent within the welfare system, but not the actual welfare of residents of religiously run institutions.
It is singularly appropriate that Senator McAleese should be allowed to examine the Bethany case, given his sterling work in the peace process in Northern Ireland and given that many former Bethany residents either started from or ended up in Northern Ireland. Considerable amounts of money were raised in Northern Ireland, very little of which was spent on the indented recipients, poor Protestant orphans in Southern Ireland. I’m sure those who gave generously would like to know how the money was actually spent (as would I) and I’m sure Senator McAleese would be assiduous in finding out, if he was allowed.
What is the Government afraid of, the truth? It is time to evenly regulate redress for the victims of Ireland’s State-sanctioned sectarian welfare system. – Yours, etc,