Joe Little on RTÉ Nine O’Clock News discussing the Magdalene Laundry report, age and contrition.
Joe Little: “I think their (survivors’) greatest disappoint is that although the accusation of profiteering which was levelled against the nuns was dissected carefully by the committee, there was no similar dissection of the allegation that there was slave labour involved. And I think that remains the big question mark hanging over this and the big moral argument facing the Cabinet.”
Eileen Dunne: “Now official Ireland reacted today in the shape of the Taoiseach and the Minister for Justice and also the Orders. Where do those reactions leave them?”
Little: “Well the Taoiseach’s regret, while very sincere, this was the way Ireland was back then, and between the 20s and the 50s, in particular, is to be expected. Anyone with an iota of empathy would regret that I think. Certainly in my age group, we would regret very much that this was going on, under our noses.”
