Survivors of Symphysiotomy have called a new report into Government payouts an ‘official whitewash’.

The original report, by former High Court judge Maureen Harding Clark, was commissioned by former Health Minister Leo Varadkar (pictured) in late 2014 in a bid to highlight the full extent of cases involved.

€34m has been awarded to hundreds of women, who had their pelvis broken during childbirth.

But advocates claim the compensation scheme was ‘irrational, adversarial and unjust’.

Chairperson of the group ‘Survivors of Symphysiotomy’ Marie O’Connor says it was extremely difficult for victims to qualify for help: “It’s simply very easy to find other reasons for walking difficulties, they can be put down to old age, incontenence, can be put down to child bearing and chronic pain can be simply dismissed as arthritis.

“The scheme refused to take survivor testimony and that made it very difficult for older women to prove their injuries.”