The Junior Finance Minister Brian Hayes says the government may make a full apology to the survivors of the Magdalene Laundries after it reads the report.

The report under the chairmanship of Dr. Martin McAleese was published yesterday and found there was significant State involvement in the laundries.

In each of the 5 categories it examined it found evidence of State involvement.

Most notably 26% of the women who entered the laundries were referred there by the State.

The authorities also inspected the laundries, funded them, and registered the departures and deaths of the women there.

But it also found that there was a legal basis for State involvement - as many of the women were referred by the courts as a condition of probation, or under supervision after enrolment in industrial schools.

Issue to be raised in the Dail

The committee did not find physical abuse or torture to be a feature of the schools and there was no evidence that the women were sexually abused.

But the report authors acknowledge that they only spoke just over 100 of 10,000 women who entered the school.

The women effected have expressed their anger at the failure of the Taoiseach Enda Kenny to issue a full apology yesterday.

The issue is expected to be raised by TDs in the Dail this morning.

Minister Brian Hayes says the government needs time to read the report in full but indicated to our reporter that there may be a further response then.

Today may see a Dail debate about whether the Taoiseach Enda Kenny apologised yesterday, or what he said sorry for.