Coalition TDs circle wagons to protect Martin

GOVERNMENT members on the Oireachtas Health Committee were accused of excluding crucial issues in a report on illegal nursing home charges to protect former Health Minister Micheál Martin from being criticised.

On the eve of publication of a committee report into the charges scandal, Fine Gael and Labour health spokespersons yesterday published 12 recommendations which Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats committee members voted to exclude from the final report.

The committee is due to publish its report into the €1 billion scandal today, after 16 hearings over the last two months heard testimony from dozens of witnesses, including Micheál Martin and former Department of Health secretary general Michael Kelly.