HSE: we will not use pensioners’ held money

PENSIONERS’ money held by public nursing homes will not be used to pay for their care even if the Supreme Court rules that the State can charge them, the Health Service Executive (HSE) said yesterday.

The HSE has ordered nursing homes to ask thousands of elderly people in long term public care, their relatives or guardians, if they want to have their pension books returned.

The HSE said in many cases the former health boards took care of the pension books for safe keeping with the patients’ permission.

No charges have been levied on long term care patients since December 9 last, when Health Minister Mary Harney directed that health boards cease making pension deductions.

A HSE spokesperson said the money deducted from pensions had been placed in individual accounts that were immediately accessible to patients.

He said it had been the policy of all former health boards to have pensions paid into individual patient property accounts for safe keeping but, he stressed, the money was available to them at all times.

On Monday January 24 the Supreme Court will test the constitutionality of new Government legislation that aims to legalise the illegal charges levied in the past.

Paul Murray of Age

Action Ireland said they welcomed the assurances from the HSE that, in the event of the Supreme Court finding for the Government, the money of older people, which had been retained, would still remain in their ownership.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said his understanding of the Tánaiste’s position was that charges would not resume until new legislation was enacted.

“The Tánaiste’s legislation can only lend retrospective validity to charges which were imposed and paid,” said Mr Kenny.

The HSE also announced that it intended making contact with the 20,000 people concerned within a number of days, regarding an ex-gratia payment of up to €2,000 each.