Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The publication and subsequent media coverage of retired Judge Harding Clark's report into the surgical symphysiotomy ex gratiapayment scheme raises fundamental questions about how citizens who pursue justice in cases of historical abuse are treated by the organs of the State. The terms of reference called for the assessor to report to the Minister on the activities and expenditure of the scheme when she had completed the administration of the scheme. In my view, the retired judge took licence with those terms. Whatever about telling us about how she was affected by women sending her poems, it was highly inappropriate of her to comment on ongoing litigation, as there are currently 28 cases before the courts and she has said enough in this report to taint those cases.

The Survivors of Symphysiotomy are calling on the former judge, Maureen Harding Clark, to withdraw false allegations in her report. The report has many flaws, one of which is an allegation that leading symphysiotomy campaigners who said they had symphysiotomies did not, in fact, have them. This is utterly false and untrue.

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