Travers to be quizzed on nursing fees report

THE author of the Government's report into illegal nursing home payments will be quizzed today on why his investigation did not focus more on the role played by former Health Minister Micheál Martin.

In his report, published just before the Dáil's Easter recess, John Travers laid most of the blame for the illegal charging of long-stay patients on then Department of Health Secretary General Michael Kelly who subsequently tendered his resignation.

The Opposition has always argued that Mr Martin, along with his junior ministers, Ivor Callely and Tim O'Malley, should have bourne more responsibility for Departmental failures under their watch.

Until now the Easter recess prevented any significant Oireachtas consideration of the Travers report.

However, with the Dáil resuming today, the contents of the report will be the subject of intense scrutiny as it is considered by a three-month long series of Oireachtas Health Committee hearings.

Fine Gael health spokesman Liam Twomey said he would use the first hearing, to be attended by Mr Travers, to seek an explanation for why the investigation stopped short of blaming politicians. Mr Twomey said he would also question Mr Travers on the role of ministerial advisers after his report found special advisers to ministers should have a clearly defined role and not be regarded as part of the Department's line management. "The terms of reference were very much focusing on the minister's responsibility in the Department and Mr Travers took that to be the civil service.

I don't think he placed enough emphasis on the role of the minister, his junior ministers and their advisers. They are very much the executive of the Department."

Today's hearing will be followed by three months of Oireachtas Health Committee meetings in which numerous officials and politicians are due to appear, including Ministers Martin, Callely and O'Malley.

Minister Martin is set to appear before the Committee next week along with his former secretary general Michael Kelly.

The chairman of the committee, Fianna Fáil's John Moloney, has said he will consider in the coming weeks whether to request the attendance of former ministers for health, including Charles Haughey.