Civil servants 'failed on nursing home charges'

CIVIL servants failed to present a proper appraisal on illegal charging of public nursing home patients to successive Ministers for Health, a report into the affair concludes.

The delays in the publication of the Travers Report until today caused ructions in the Dáil yesterday as opposition parties accused the Taoiseach of avoiding questions on the contentious issue, which has a potential cost of €2 billion attached.

The former Forfás chief John Travers says that if a proper appraisal had been carried out over 30 years and presented to ministers, it is "difficult to believe" that appropriate action would not have been taken.