Government moves to halt compo claims

THE Government will today rush through emergency legislation in a bid to stave off compensation claims from long-term care patients who were illegally charged for their care.

In addition, €40 million in ex-gratia payments, comprised of €2,000 per patient, will be made to an estimated 20,000 people who, the Government now acknowledges, were illegally charged for their care.

However, challenges to the new legislation are likely as experts last night cast doubt on whether the Government could legally introduce retrospective legislation to block compensation claims.