Fitzgerald says €12.8m paid to 357 Magdalene women
Minister for Justice says legislation will provide extra supports for the women
Ruth Coppinger TD: “This is an important landmark for women. Gender-based violence is at epidemic levels and one in four women in Ireland has experienced domestic violence.” Photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times
Some 357 former Magdalene laundry residents have been paid a total of €12.8 million in lump sum payments, Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald has told the Dáil. “A further 106 formal offers have been made and letters of provisional assessment on the length of stay in a relevant institution have been issued to an additional 35 applicants,’’ she added.