Alliance from across Irish Society calls for Justice for Bethany Home Survivors
Published: Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Dear Editor,
We the undersigned are writing to you to express our deep concern at the situation of the survivors of the Bethany Home, Rathgar, Dublin. We are aware that Justice Minister Alan Shatter and Minister of State Kathleen Lynch have met with representatives of the Bethany Survivors Group. They heard testimony that included evidence of state responsibility for death, abuse and neglect of children at the home.
The fact that these survivors have to date been excluded from both the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme and the Magdalene Redress Scheme (despite initial indications, that the Bethany Home may be considered for inclusion in the latter scheme), leaves them in a state of vulnerability, uncertainty and in many cases poverty.
We call on the Taoiseach, as a matter of urgency, to ensure that justice is served to the survivors of the Bethany home and that the state affords them the peace and security that they deserve in these, their older years. We call on him to provide them with a process of non-adversarial redress and to provide assistance to them in their attempts to access to their records.
Yours etc,
Niall Meehan, Secretary, Bethany Survivors Group
Orla O’Connor, Director, National Women’s Council of Ireland
2-3 Parnell Square East
Dublin 1
On behalf of;
Breffni Belles Cavan Women's Network
Children’s Rights Alliance
Community Workers Co-operative
Domestic Violence Response
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre
European Anti Poverty Network Ireland
Headford Women’s Group
Irish Feminist Network
Irish Traveller Movement
Justice for Magdalenes Research
Migrant Rights Centre Ireland
National Collective of Community Based Women’s Networks
Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed
National Women’s Council of Ireland
One Family
One in Four
OPEN
Pavee Point
Rape Crisis Network Ireland
Rowlagh Women’s Group
South West Kerry Women’s Association
Survive and Thrive – breast cancer support and advocacy group
Women’s Aid
Women in Media and Entertainment
Women with Disabilities in the West
Global Women's Studies Centre, NUIG
Irish congress of Trade Unions
Irish Nurses and Midwives Association
National Union of Journalists
SIPTU
UNISON
UNITE the Union
Dr Anne Byrne School of Political Science and Sociology, NUI Galway
Professor Patricia Coughlan , School of English, University College, Cork
Anastasia Crickley, Centre for Applied Social Studies, NUI, Maynooth
Dr. Breda Gray, Gender, Culture & Society Programmes at the University of Limerick.
Dr. Amanda Haynes, Lecturer in Sociology, University of Limerick
Mark Kelly, Director Irish Council for Civil Liberties
Prof Siobhán Mullally, Director, Centre for Criminal Justice and Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University College Cork
Dr. Sandra Mc Evoy Coordinator, Women's Studies, University College Cork.
Dr. Chris McInerney, Course Director, BA Public Administration / BA Politics and Public Administration, Department of Politics and Public Administration University of Limerick
Dr. Mary Murphy Department of Sociology NUI Maynooth
Professor Ray Murphy, Professor of Law, Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway.
Dr Katherine O'Donnell, Director-Women's Studies Centre, School of Social Justice, University College Dublin
Orlagh O’Farrell, Consultant and researcher on equality and human rights.
Dr. Martin J. Power, Lecturer in Sociology, Course Director: MA in Sociology, University of Limerick
Dr. Niamh Reilly, Senior Lecturer, School of Political Science and Sociology NUI Galway
Professor Neil Robinson, Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Limerick
Ailbhe Smyth, researcher and consultant in gender equality, LGBT issues and human rights.