Government failed to stop 'illegal' charge for two years

LAWYERS were last night preparing the first of many legal cases against health boards after the Government admitted it knew for two years that nursing home charges to medical card holders may have been illegal.

The legal moves, which come after ministers yesterday instructed health boards to stop charging medical card holders, could open the floodgates exposing the Government to a compensation bill of over €100m.

Solicitor and Cork Fine Gael Councillor Colm Burke, whose legal practice is considering up to 30 cases against the Government, said a test case was only a matter of weeks away.