Official casts doubt on nursing home document

THE consultant who investigated the Department of Health’s handling of nursing home charges yesterday said that a crucial briefing paper prepared for then Minister Micheál Martin was not conclusive on the illegality of the charges.

John Travers, the former head of Forfás, told the Oireachtas Committee on Health that the minister’s briefing for a meeting in December 2003 - where the legality of the charges were explicitly discussed at ministerial level for the first time - were not “determinate” on the illegality of the charges.

Mr Martin was late for the meeting and was not present when charges were discussed.