Martin health advisers face grilling over illegal charges debacle

THE political advisers to Micheál Martin when he was at the Department of Health will face a grilling next week over illegal nursing home charges.

Christy Mannion, who was the minister’s special adviser at health, and Deirdre Gillane, who was policy adviser, will be asked about their handling of the affair on Wednesday by members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children. The committee has already heard from John Travers, author of a report into the issue; Michael Kelly, former secretary general at the Department of Health; Pat McLoughlin, who was chief executive of the South Eastern Health Board when it obtained legal advice indicating the charges were illegal; and Mr Martin himself.

The charges, which were levied on more than 300,000 people between 1976 and 2004, could cost the State up to €2 billion to refund.