He’ll make an excuse it wasn’t his government, but a fianna fail or a.n. Other government of times past. His usual trick.

Remember he’s the longest serving TD in the Dail (1975)

An apology is an admission of guilt (Duh) in Irish law. If he apologises then we will be paying these ladies large sums of money. Not that the women who suffered genuine abuse dont deserve it. I would just rather that the Catholic Church paid it instead of the citizens of Ireland today who had absolutely nothing to do with what happend.

We will end up paying though. The Church will almost certainly not.

@conor

The Irish citizen is not blameless. People knew what was going on. The people chose to look away and not speak out. This is every bit as bad.
To say that the Irish citizen had absolutely nothing to do with what happened is simply not true I’m afraid. State and church must cough up and full apologies given by state and church.

@ Irene. I said the same in a previous post. The state AND parents of those days have a lot to answer to. The cruelty man sent people to these institutions and he was employed by the ISPCC. It’s an absolute disgrace. Still a lot covered up.

kenny is a black belt at stopping short.

Dave you are spot on with your comment his advisers are telling him he is doing a great job.

i believe there ought to be room for an apology without accepting legal responsibility. The Taoiseach is being constrained in what he can/cannot say. I believe he regrets this awful state of affairs but , were he to say so , he might open the doors of a flood of litigation which might cost the taxpayers millions. Look at the redress board.
The question is simple: are taxpayers willing to assume a huge liability involving more tax euros ?

Rubbish Rory. It didn’t stop David Cameron admitting government collusion in bloody Sunday & like a man he apologised. Same with hillsborough.

He’s quite willing to pay millions to the bond holders. Why not compensate these poor unfortunate women?

Enda’s response today doesn’t make any sense. Why not give a clear and straightforward apology?

Destitution and Poverty there will be alot of that in our country Kenny and what will happen when people are struggling to feed their kids that state will take them away.Childrens referendum was a yet another mistake .

He is a coward.
What would a great man do…??

Les Rock. Are our laws the same as GB’s In this regard?

“where’s my feckin earpiece”

How about the tax payers dont pay go and raid the Vatican have u ever seen that place strip it out and give every penny to survivors of abuse and magdalene laundries, let them start again and fund themselves if that’s what they want and while their at it how about they contribute money to the running of catholic schools in this country seeing as they want to have a say in running them and what is and isn’t taught.

IRELAND come for THE GATHERING, Stay for THE SHAME, we have plenty to go ’round.

At John Duggan, firstly you imbecile it’s refugee! And secondly a refugee is a person seeking asylum or protection from another nation where their own lives are at risk in their own. These brave women were all our own, Irish citizens, who because of circumstances beyond their control or a bigoted believe towards pre martial sex/pregnancies were thrust into these cruel and inhuman conditions where they were subjected to far worse Than before they were incarcerated. Some of these women spent up to thirty years in this institution and forgotten about, typically Irish see no evil hear no evil. And these women had to wait til today to be told what they already knew, that what happend to them was grossly wrong, and then to add insult to injury our great leader Enda Kenny gave a half baked apology. And the greatest injustice is that the men and women who kept these women imprisoned for decades will never see a day of incarceration themselves. What a joke the legislators and leaders of our country are. Another day to be ashamed. But there have been so many lately this government has weeks at best of survival.

I’m pretty sure John meant the laundries were a Refuge – a place of safety & support. Not that I am saying this is what the laundries were because they certainly were not! However I don’t think John is talking about Refugees at all!! So I think people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones!!

At meabh, John reckons that these women aren’t due a straight out apology from he current leader of this nation for the indiscretions of his predecessors who glazed over this particular matter. All he had to do was say yes I on behalf of the Irish government acknowledge all the wrong doings and we as a government are sorry and will use every resource now to make good the lives of these victims. End of story. And to refer to the magdalene launderers as a refuge shows your total lack of understanding of what a refuge is. Firstly a refuge is a place of safety with a view to help the people who seek it get help and assistance to get back on their feet. And just what glass house have I around me in relation to this matter that I can’t throw stones! Think before you use clichés, clearly another dimwit who doesn’t understand what these women were subjected to.

Alternative to this was prison, really? Prison for extra marital sex. Hmmm now we’re getting somewhere the story always comes back to the church and the power the church held over the state. The state were grossly responsible, because the state was run by religious zealots like DeValera and his pious cronies, well this is coming back to haunt the political leaders of today and not just Kenny, all of them, all of the State and the church are guilty of this terrible crime. Wake up !!

@ Keith. If you read my post you will have seen that I in no way referred to the laundries as a refuge in fact I stated they were not in anyway a refuge. I was only saying that it was a refuge John was referring to not a refugee!! So to call him an imbecile was a little unfair, as your accusation to me that I am a dim wit is also a little unfair! But no harm I could be called worse! Anyway Keith this is a very sensitive issue for a lot of people and I am not going to have a petty argument with you on it. I do have an in depth knowledge of these laundries as do many people so I know how desperately these victims need and deserve an apology from the highest authority and i do believe they will get one. As the Taoiseach said today he will review the report and in two weeks hold a Dail debate on the matter! I can only hope that it is then he will make this much deserved apology to the Magadeline Laundry victims!

Good on ya Meabh. Well said. This propensity toward outrage and name name calling solves nothing. I think that these women do deserve an apology but sometimes quick apologies are the easy way out.

What’s your argument then????? John is out of order, and that’s that.

“being with child”
If it wasn’t so serious you’d be funny john.
You’re showing the exact attitude that allowed these workhouses to trive.

At least John prison would have involved a determinate sentence, some of these poor souls lived out their miserable lives in these grey, cold institutions… Also in prison you would have been allowed visits, unlike the hidden inmates of the laundries.. Also John, prisoners today earn a few bob for any work they do while in jail, these girls and women never received a penny.. Also let’s not forget John, these victims hadn’t committed any crimes (unlike people in jail, of course).. But don’t let any of that get in the way of your fascist-minded argument..

I never said they were all there legitimately, but a lot were e.g those who were in for thievery and similar small crimes. Then those who had no-where else to go. They didn’t go onto the streets and grab people, people ended up there through their-own criminality or misfortune (e.g. finding their virginity compromised). You don’t apologize for sending someone to prison or taking care of them, but you can (as Enda did), apologise for the conditions.

@refuge John, really? Are you for real?

Your child taken away, your rights taken away, incarcerated as a slave for an indefinite period of time, beaten, humiliated, some were raped etc etc etc. Some women were put in there as children, so they had their childhood robbed from them too. Most of these women had their lives destroyed because they got pregnant outside marriage. That was theI’d so called ‘crime’. women and children were forced into these institutions. Forced John. They did not enter hem because they had nowhere else to go.
These ‘refuges’ as you call them were our own concentration camps. You are either a troll, ignorant of the facts or have a very very low opinion of women.
A full apology by our Taoiseach was wholly warranted and appropriate.

# correction- ‘their’ so called crime.

He didn’t apologise because to do so would be to admit liability on behalf of the State, thus paving the way for redress.. Well the State IS liable, the victims ARE due redress, so apologise NOW!

Mountjoy is the place for the colluders and supporters of this crime against Humanity… They only instigated this investigation, because the UN ordered it. Prison is too good for the current and previous administrations in this country.

*your bags*

Rubbish !!!!!!!

I completely agree with you on this, prison is far too good for them, especially since they would be put in the training unit in mountjoy. Put them in with the general pop and see what it’s really like.
Yet again this government has let the people down. Enda should have grovelled today, not that it would have made a difference but it might have shown a bit of respect and decency.
Fair play to Martin McAllese.

He stops short on everything bar lying to a nation!

Sky News are leading with the headline that the Taoiseach *has* apologised. This is most unfair to the victims of the Magdalene Laundry regime. The words that he used in the Dáil today did not amount either to an *official* or a meaningful apology on behalf of the State.

I’m saddened that such sloppy journalism may detract from the full force and gravity of a proper and long-overdue apology to the victims.

What would you expect they are worse than the last shower, but as sure as my S*ite smells its Fine Fail again as soon after this shower get fecked out, can’t believe he couldn’t even apologise though scandalous…

He asked about horse burgers? Really? Dear god almighty

It’s too late for Kenny to apologize. Much too late.

Language not only excused but endorsed!

Now we know why Martin mcAleese walked away huh.

Martin McAleese is a credit to this country … He worked for free, never took a wage, while a senator… Of course, he must be absolutely sick at the level of depravity that the Church and State inflicted on innocent people for decades.
Please do not tar him with the same brush as the other criminals.

I didn’t cal. Its why i stated he walked away. Obviously he knew spineless kenny wasn’t going to apologise. That probably sickened him as a good man of integrity, hence he walked away dignity intact. Martin mcAleese is a fine man.

The same Enda Kenny that slated the Church after the Cloyne Report?

I know devout Catholics who are livid with this co-alition. Pushing ahead with issues like Gay Marriage and abortion has some of them up in arms.

Enda’s probably the most far removed Taoiseach we’ve ever had from the Catholic Church. Garret Fitzgerald might join him at the top.

He’s a devout catholic himself but he keeps his religion out of his politics and I respect that hugely.

Reginald , you feel you can say that after his speech against the Church ? My goodness , you have some neck, or a short memory.

Regardless of him being a Catholic or not, Enda Kenny needs to apologise.

same as kenny then

hear hear

Great comment. Come on Eamon. This is your chance. Lets see how much of a man you really are. Pull the plug before the 25th, and you’ll be a hero never to be forgotten. Wait any longer, and you’ll be a selfish coward forever.

http://imgur.com/a/39SVI

*THE* state

And it makes you wonder how the children’s referendum passed!!!!!! It’s beggars belief that any sane person would vote yes to that……handing more responsibility to the state, when its done nothing but kill, maim, torture and the rape of children through the decades. I’m glad Enda has his religious followers because the rest of the country pretty much despise him!

There are no words Ryan.
Shame shame shame

Leader !!!!!
what I would like to call him wouldn’t be allowed in a post..

Renew you’re f.g. Membership this year Will?

At least I come on here and speak my mind under my real name. You should try it sometime, form an opinion and not just make throwaway statements.

Tis my real name. Quite cool i know, now don’t be jealous

U spell Gud 2 mr. Rock

” but those of you who hop on the get-Enda-and-the-government-out-now bandwagon are broken records.”

I always love this statement.Enda has proven he is weak,a coward and a liar.This government has been a failure from the moment they took office.Very simple Will,there wouldn’t be a “Enda-and-the-government-out-now bandwagon” if they even attempted to do what they said they would.So really the “Enda-and-the-government-out-now bandwagon.” is justified!!!

@ Les Rock : Excellent name,3rd best ever,after Hercules P. Rockefeller and Max Power :-)

Thanks Ru. I sound like a modern progressive French rock band.

Enda had his opportunity to apologise he blew it and you talk about bertie being a spineless weasel yes he is, but thats only detracting from how spineless Edna is the only one in the dail today that has a backbone or balls is Marylou McDonald. As for hard decisions Enda does not care for the people of this land he is to busy keeping Europe happy.