Irish Taoiseach Refuses Apology for State Role in Magdalen Laundries

Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny declined to apologize for the state's role in admitting women to the Magdalen Laundries, despite a new report by former Senator Martin McAleese confirming state involvement in about 26% of admissions. Between 1922 and 1996, over 10,000 women were incarcerated in ten laundries run by religious congregations. The report found that half of the women were under 23, 40% spent more than a year, and the youngest death recorded was age 15. Women were sent for minor offenses such as theft or not paying for a train ticket. Survivors and opposition leaders criticized Kenny's expression of sympathy as insufficient, demanding a full apology. The Dail will debate the report in two weeks.