State takes legal advice on nursing home charges

THE Government has asked for legal advice on whether the State owes €100 million to thousands of elderly people who were allegedly illegally charged for long-term nursing home care, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern confirmed yesterday.

Mr Ahern was responding to a media report which claimed up to 8,000 people had been charged for nursing home care since the introduction of medical cards for people over 70 years ago.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny told the Dáil that charges levied on these people were illegal because they were contrary to the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2001.