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| Irish PM: Magdalene laundries product of harsh Ireland | Irish PM: Magdalene laundries product of harsh Ireland |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| By Shane Harrison BBC NI Dublin correspondent | By Shane Harrison BBC NI Dublin correspondent |
| Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has apologised for the stigma and conditions suffered by women who were inmates of the Magdalene laundries. | Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has apologised for the stigma and conditions suffered by women who were inmates of the Magdalene laundries. |
| Mr Kenny said the laundries had operated in a "harsh and uncompromising Ireland," but he stopped short of a formal apology from the government. | Mr Kenny said the laundries had operated in a "harsh and uncompromising Ireland," but he stopped short of a formal apology from the government. |
| About 10,000 women passed through the laundries in the Irish Republic between 1922 and 1996, a report has revealed. | About 10,000 women passed through the laundries in the Irish Republic between 1922 and 1996, a report has revealed. |
| The laundries were Catholic-run workhouses that operated in Ireland. | The laundries were Catholic-run workhouses that operated in Ireland. |
| Mr Kenny expressed his sympathies with survivors and the families of those who died. | Mr Kenny expressed his sympathies with survivors and the families of those who died. |
| He added that the report found no evidence of sexual abuse in the laundries and that 10% of inmates were sent by their families and 19% entered of their own volition. | He added that the report found no evidence of sexual abuse in the laundries and that 10% of inmates were sent by their families and 19% entered of their own volition. |
| The inquiry chaired by Senator Martin McAleese found 2,124 of those detained in the institutions were sent by the authorities. | The inquiry chaired by Senator Martin McAleese found 2,124 of those detained in the institutions were sent by the authorities. |
| There will be a debate in the Irish parliament in two weeks time giving members time to read the 1,000-page document. | There will be a debate in the Irish parliament in two weeks time giving members time to read the 1,000-page document. |
| Girls considered "troubled" or what were then called "fallen women" were sent there and did unpaid manual work. | Girls considered "troubled" or what were then called "fallen women" were sent there and did unpaid manual work. |
| In 2011, the UN Committee Against Torture called on the Irish government to set up an inquiry into the treatment of thousands of women and girls. | In 2011, the UN Committee Against Torture called on the Irish government to set up an inquiry into the treatment of thousands of women and girls. |
| Abused | Abused |
| In response, the Irish government set up an inter-departmental committee, chaired by Senator Martin McAleese, to establish the facts of the Irish state's involvement with the Magdalene laundries. | In response, the Irish government set up an inter-departmental committee, chaired by Senator Martin McAleese, to establish the facts of the Irish state's involvement with the Magdalene laundries. |
| Survivors and representative groups, and the religious congregations, co-operated with the departmental committee. | Survivors and representative groups, and the religious congregations, co-operated with the departmental committee. |
| Amnesty International called for former residents of Magdalene laundry-type institutions in Northern Ireland to come forward to report their experiences to the Historic Institutional Abuse Inquiry. | |
| Amnesty spokesman Patrick Corrigan said: "Those who suffered abuse as children are now eligible to come forward to the inquiry, recently established by the Northern Ireland Executive, and we would encourage them to consider doing so." | |
| One survivor, Maureen Sullivan, 60, was sent to a Magdalene laundry in New Ross, County Wexford, at the age of 12. | One survivor, Maureen Sullivan, 60, was sent to a Magdalene laundry in New Ross, County Wexford, at the age of 12. |
| Maureen's father died leaving a widow and three children. | Maureen's father died leaving a widow and three children. |
| Her mother re-married and Maureen claims she was abused by her stepfather. | Her mother re-married and Maureen claims she was abused by her stepfather. |
| The nuns noticed, called in a priest and convinced her mother that Maureen would be going to a "lovely school". | The nuns noticed, called in a priest and convinced her mother that Maureen would be going to a "lovely school". |
| She said she never saw her school books again, was forced to work night and day, seven days a week, and was given a new name, Frances. | She said she never saw her school books again, was forced to work night and day, seven days a week, and was given a new name, Frances. |
| "What an evil thing to do. I never did any wrong. I was an innocent child and a nun told me I could trust her to tell her my story. I trusted her and what a fool I was. I mean when you look back now," she said. | "What an evil thing to do. I never did any wrong. I was an innocent child and a nun told me I could trust her to tell her my story. I trusted her and what a fool I was. I mean when you look back now," she said. |
| "You were brought up then to think you could trust a nun or a priest but they did a lot of wrong by me and very many other people." | "You were brought up then to think you could trust a nun or a priest but they did a lot of wrong by me and very many other people." |
| Ms Sullivan said her day began at six in the morning, and finished at nine at night. | Ms Sullivan said her day began at six in the morning, and finished at nine at night. |
| She would have to scrub and polish floors, work in the laundry and then make rosary beads and knit Aran sweaters. | She would have to scrub and polish floors, work in the laundry and then make rosary beads and knit Aran sweaters. |
| "Everything was taken from me; my name, my rights as a child to go out and play with other children, my rights to communicate with other people," she adds. | "Everything was taken from me; my name, my rights as a child to go out and play with other children, my rights to communicate with other people," she adds. |
| Maureen Sullivan spent two years in New Ross, then further periods in a laundry in Athy, County Kildare, and another in Dublin. | Maureen Sullivan spent two years in New Ross, then further periods in a laundry in Athy, County Kildare, and another in Dublin. |
| She said she had virtually no contact with her mother - just four visits in five years. | She said she had virtually no contact with her mother - just four visits in five years. |
| "I was coming up on 16 and my mother came up and said 'Maureen, do you not think it's time you should be getting paid now', so, I said it to the reverend mother and the next morning my case was packed and I was left at Heuston station with £5 in my hand," she said. | "I was coming up on 16 and my mother came up and said 'Maureen, do you not think it's time you should be getting paid now', so, I said it to the reverend mother and the next morning my case was packed and I was left at Heuston station with £5 in my hand," she said. |
| "Back to the town that I was abused in. And nobody cared about me or what happened to me." | "Back to the town that I was abused in. And nobody cared about me or what happened to me." |
| 'Cruel' | 'Cruel' |
| Maureen Sullivan said she left the laundries unable to communicate properly, with low self-esteem and virtually no education. | Maureen Sullivan said she left the laundries unable to communicate properly, with low self-esteem and virtually no education. |
| Widowed twice, she said she found it hard to trust people. | Widowed twice, she said she found it hard to trust people. |
| But now a campaigner for those who were in the laundries, she knows what she hopes will be in Senator McAleese's report to the government on the issue. | But now a campaigner for those who were in the laundries, she knows what she hopes will be in Senator McAleese's report to the government on the issue. |
| She said: "We want the truth to come out about how horrific these places were, how cruel they were. | She said: "We want the truth to come out about how horrific these places were, how cruel they were. |
| "We want an apology which is the most important thing. And if they could give us compensation that would make our lives better for what we suffered there and for the hours that we worked." | "We want an apology which is the most important thing. And if they could give us compensation that would make our lives better for what we suffered there and for the hours that we worked." |
| The Sisters of the Good Shepherd said that because of confidentiality and data protection rules they cannot comment on individual cases and will await the publication of the McAleese report before making any detailed comment. | The Sisters of the Good Shepherd said that because of confidentiality and data protection rules they cannot comment on individual cases and will await the publication of the McAleese report before making any detailed comment. |
| But a source close to the order said this was a very complex issue involving many strands of Irish society. | But a source close to the order said this was a very complex issue involving many strands of Irish society. |
| Have you or has anyone you know been affected by the issues raised in this story? If you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist, please get in touch using the form below. | Have you or has anyone you know been affected by the issues raised in this story? If you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist, please get in touch using the form below. |