Symphysiotomy scheme 'needs to accept what women are saying'
The Government is being asked to review its Symphysiotomy scheme.
Survivors of Symphysiotomy says women are being asked to provide documentation - which in many cases does not exist.
The group, which represents women who had the procedure preformed on them during birth, has said that this is excluding women from receiving compensation.
Chairperson Marie O'Connor said that a change of attitude is needed.
"The scheme needs to change its view," she said.
"It needs to accept what women are saying, and also to stop looking for pieces of paper that do not exist, for hospital records that are not there, and that simply serve the purpose of excluding women from this additional payment of €50,000 for lifelong disability - which is already not a very large payment."
The group said 60% of the women who have applied for the scheme so far have been given the minimum payment of €50,000, meaning they were not regarded as having suffered a "significant disability".
"I just think the Minister and the Government hopes we'll all die before anything happens," said Symphysiotomy survivor Rita Doyle. "We're all old and still have problems … we're just being swept under the carpet."
