Shatter Cannot Make Or Punish Religious Orders Over Compensation

Following the news that the four religious orders who ran the Magdalene Laundries are not to contribute to the fund established to pay compensation to the survivors, the government have been urged the strip the orders of their charitable status.

Magdalene Survivors Together called on the Government to remove the orders' charitable status and to cease State funding in response to their decision.

However, minister for justice Alan Shatter has said that he cannot take away the orders charitable statues.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams also added that it was not "not good enough" for the government to be dissapointed by the order's decision not to contribute.

(MH/CD)