Cabinet to decide on refunding nursing home fees

The cabinet is expected to decide on a scheme for refunding illegal nursing home fees to pensioners at its weekly meeting later today.

The State is facing a huge compensation bill due to the fact that such fees have been illegally deducted from the pensions of medical card holders since 1976.

The Government had attempted to retrospectively legalise the charges, but the Supreme Court ruled last week that the attempt was unconstitutional.

Reports this morning said the Attorney General would brief the cabinet today on the implications of imposing a six-year statute of limitations on compensation claims, which would bar many older people and their families from automatically recovering the illegally-deducted fees.

However, a number of solicitors are reportedly preparing legal claims on behalf of such people in the event that the Government does try to apply a statute of limitations.

According to this morning's reports, if the statute is applied, the State's compensation bill will be around €550m, rising to €1bn if there is no limit on claims.