Health Minister Mary Harney has published legislation paving the way for the so-called "fair deal" scheme on nursing home funding.

The long-delayed legislation to pave the way for the so-called "fair deal" scheme on nursing-home funding is expected to be published later today.

Age Action has today called on the Government to implement better standards in Ireland's nursing homes after today's revelations.

The Cabinet is expected to discuss plans to rush through controversial new laws on nursing home charges when it meets today.

The Health Service Executive has begun operating a repayment scheme for people illegally charged for nursing home care dating back to the 1970s.

The Irish Nursing Homes Organisation has today criticised what it regards as the Government’s failure to reform the Nursing Home Subvention scheme.

An elderly man who was charged more than his income to stay in a nursing home is to be compensated by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006 has passed all stages in the Oireachtas and has been forwarded President Mc Aleese for her signature, Senator Terry Leyden announced today.

The controversial nursing home charges that were illegally levied on medical card holders over a 28-year period are due to be reintroduced this Thursday.

The Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, has said she expects to receive further complaints in relation to the repayment of illegal nursing homes charges.

There were extraordinary scenes at today's press conference for the publication of the Oireachtas Committee on Health report into the Travers inquiry on nursing home charges.

Fine Gael and Labour today accused the Oireachtas Health Committee of ignoring crucial issues in its findings on the illegal nursing homes charges debacle.

Fine Gael and Labour TD's say former Health Minister Micheál Martin failed to act responsibly over his handling of the illegal nursing home charging scandal.

TDs from Fine Gael and the Labour Party will today highlight deleted contents of the Oireachtas Committee Report on Health, arising out of the illegal Nursing Homes Charges.

The Government’s multi-million refund scheme for illegal nursing home charges may be hit by court actions by people who feel entitled to money, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern warned today.

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has told the Dáil that repayments to thousands of medical card holders illegally charged for nursing home care will cost the taxpayer at least €850m.

The Government is due to announce details today of a scheme to repay hundreds of millions of euro to medical card holders who were illegally charged for nursing home care.

Former Health Minister Michael Martin today angrily hit back at claims by his department’s secretary general that he was aware of illegal nursing homes charges as early as 2003.

A former top civil servant in the Health Department today hit back at how he was treated in the illegal nursing homes charges affair.

The repayment of illegal nursing home fees to residents in mental health services could result in significant dangers for patients and staff, it was warned today.

A former Forfás official has told the Oireachtas health committee that Government ministers must take some of the blame for the levying of illegal nursing home charges on medical card holders.

The Oireachtas Health Committee will today hope to establish political accountability for the illegal nursing home charges scandal when it begins hearings on the issue.

Former Minister for Health Micheál Martin and two junior ministers in his department are to be questioned on the illegal nursing home charges when they appear before the Oireachtas Health Committee next month, it emerged today.

Several former health ministers are reportedly set to be called before an Oireachtas investigation into the scandal surrounding illegal nursing home fees.

The Government has said it is considering a phased repayment of nursing home charges to medical card patients over a number of years.

The Department of Health has denied reports that a "missing" file relating to illegal nursing home charges is actually in its possession.

Opposition parties are expected to reiterate their calls for the resignation of Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin when the Dáil debates the Travers Report later today.

The secretary general of the Department of Health today appeared to be the first casualty in the fall-out from the Travers Report into illegal nursing home charges.

The secretary general of the Department of Health is set to be replaced in the wake of the Travers Report into the illegal levying of nursing home fees on medical card holders.

The Travers Report into the illegal levying of nursing home fees on medical card holders is due to be made public later today.

The delayed publication of the Travers Report into illegal nursing home charges today led to angry Dáil exchanges between the Taoiseach and Opposition leaders.

The Travers Report into illegal nursing home charges will not be published until tomorrow, the Government confirmed today.

The Travers Report into how the Department of Health allowed nursing home fees to be levied on medical card holders is due to be published today.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Health is due to receive the Travers Report into the illegal levying of nursing home fees on medical cards holders later today.

Minister for Health Mary Harney has promised to publish the Travers Report into the nursing home fees controversy next Tuesday.

More than 1,000 people have reportedly registered for refunds of nursing home fees illegally levied on them or their relatives by the State.

The special helpline set up for people affected by the levying of illegal nursing home fees was inundated with calls when it opened at 9am this morning.

The Government reportedly continued to levy illegal nursing home fees on thousands of older people and medical card holders despite a comprehensive review of the charges in the early 1990s.

The cabinet is believed to have agreed to try introduce new legislation designed to make it legal for the State to deduct nursing home fees from the pensions of elderly medical card holders.

The cabinet is expected to decide on a scheme for refunding illegal nursing home fees to pensioners at its weekly meeting later today.

Minister for Health Mary Harney today admitted the Government would have to pay substantial compensation to pensioners and their relatives for illegal taking money from them to pay for nursing care.

Opposition politicians have attacked the Government over its attempt to retrospectively legalise the practice of deducting nursing home fees from old-age pensions.

The Supreme Court today ruled that legislation preventing people claiming back charges for residential care was unjust.

The Supreme Court is due to rule today on the constitutionality of proposed new legislation allowing the Government to deduct nursing home fees from old age pensioners.