Harney to receive report on illegal nursing home fees today

The Tánaiste and Minister for Health is due to receive the Travers Report into the illegal levying of nursing home fees on medical cards holders later today.

Mary Harney has asked former Forfas official John Travers to examine how these charges were allowed to continue since 1976.

The charges were halted late last year after the Attorney General warned they were legally unsound.

A subsequent government attempt to retrospectively legalise the practice of levying these fees on medical card holders was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, leaving the State open to a massive compensation bill.

Yesterday, Ms Harney said the total number of people due compensation was estimated at more than 300,000.

She also indicated that the Travers Report would show that certain officials were aware of the illegality of the charges, but failed to do anything about it.