Statement from the Communist Party of Ireland
The general secretary of the CPI, Eugene McCartan, responded to the release of the McAleese Report into the Magdalen laundries by saying:
“This report confirms what many people knew already: that the state was jointly involved with the Church in this horrific abuse and exploitation of the daughters mainly of the poor families of this country.
“The mentality that pervaded the Magdalen institutions is similar to that of those who controlled the industrial schools. The report exposes their total contempt for the poor; and that contempt still dominates the thinking of the political establishment towards working people.
“The report confirms James Connolly’s prediction that the partitioning of Ireland and the creation of two flawed states would lead to a ‘carnival of reaction’. Hundreds of thousands of our fellow-citizens were driven out of this state, since its very foundation, by a combination of mass unemployment, mass poverty, political persecution, and the stifling grip of a reactionary political establishment in alliance with the Catholic Church.
“The Free State government and the political establishment for decades used the Catholic Church as a battering-ram against working people and the rural poor, to enforce their submission physically and ideologically and as part of their anti-radical agenda since the founding of this deeply flawed state.
“The survivors of these savage exploitative institutions must be given the maximum support and compensation from the state. It is is the least that can be done.”
Latest posts by Irish Left Review (see all)
- Understanding European Movements: New Social Movements, Global Justice Struggles, Anti-Austerity Protest - May 22, 2013
- Progressive Film Club Fundraiser with Ken Loach - May 21, 2013
- No2CrokePark2: Public Rally, Liberty Hall, Sat 25th of May @2pm - May 21, 2013
- New LookLeft out now! - May 20, 2013
- Left MEPs to debate austerity and abortion rights in Dublin - May 15, 2013
February 7, 2013 8:55 pm
” The report exposes their total contempt for the poor; and that contempt still dominates the thinking of the political establishment towards working people”
If we accept that this statement is true (and I’m not saying it isn’t) why on earth do you think that the State will comply with your suggestion that
“The survivors of these savage exploitative institutions must be given the maximum support and compensation from the state”.
February 7, 2013 9:04 pm
Sorry about the split post – computer is misbehaving!!
Personally speaking I agree the Magdalen ladies should be given ” the maximum support and compensation ” but the logical follow through from your line of thought is
“The survivors of these savage exploitative institutions will not/never be given the maximum support and compensation from the state”.
What’s the difficulty at looking reality straight on?
We really do need to face up to a series of unpalatable truths