Women resident in the Good Shepherd Sisters convent in Waterford were given 'pocket money' in exchange for packing board games as recently as 2012, the Sunday Times reports.

The paper says many of these women are survivors of Magdalene laundries who continued to live in sheltered housing after their closure.

Between the 1980s and 2012, multinational toy manufacturer Hasbro provided materials for packaging and residents involved would receive payment in return.

Several women who packaged the games and spoke to the Sunday Times, said payment was as low as 50p per week, often with long working hours.

Though Hasbro said the arrangement was first suggested by charity Rehab, the charity denied it facilitated the work.