Leas Cross owner offers free care

THE owner of Leas Cross nursing home yesterday made a desperate bid to retain residents, offering its services free for six months.

As health chiefs continued to move public residents out of the north Dublin home following health and safety concerns, John Aherne said he wanted to alleviate any stress for residents.

"Faced with the prospect of the residents' best interests being jeopardised by the health service executive course of action, I now publicly offer the facilities of Leas Cross free of charge to them for a period of six months whilst the newly recommended staff levels are put in place.