A GROUP OF women from the Magdalene Survivors Together group are to meet with the Taoiseach Enda Kenny on Monday afternoon, it has been announced this evening.
Steven O’ Riordan, director of Magdalene Survivors Together, said that the meeting is a hugely important step which will they hope “will ultimately lead to an official apology”.
A group of five women from the Magdalene Survivors Together group will meet with Kenny at 2pm on Monday.
Magdalene Survivors Together said it was “disappointed” that the advocacy group Justice for Magdalenes, which also represents survivors of the Madgalene Laundries, had chosen not to participate.
“While other groups may not be on board for this, it is clear in the mind of all the survivors that I represent that they wish to meet Enda. Nobody has been bullied or rushed in to this. In fact the survivors believe its fundamental in achieving their ultimate goal for a state apology,” he said.
A spokesperson for Justice for Madgalenes told TheJournal.ie this evening that they had simply sought clarification on the purpose of the meeting on behalf of the women they represent. “We represent women who are very private and elderly – they live all across the country. Many can’t come on short notice,” she explained.
The spokesperson said the group had requested clarification on the nature of the meeting last but had not yet received any.
The decision to decline the meeting was “not a snub”, she but – but added that  the survivors represented by the organisation were not interested in empty gestures.
“If the meeting was along the lines of a gesture, they’re not interested. they want an apology, they want their wages repaid.”
Read: Howlin says State ‘must acknowledge Magdalenes and make amends’
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