Nursing home charges report held back

The Travers Report into illegal nursing home charges will not be published until tomorrow, the Government confirmed today.

The Cabinet studied the document today but it is understood it decided to seek detailed legal advice from the Attorney General before publication.

A Government statement said: “The Government today considered the report prepared by Mr John Travers at the request of the Tánaiste on issues arising from the practice of charging for persons in long-stay care in health board institutions.

“The Government, on the advice of the Attorney General, decided that the report should be submitted to the members of the Dáil tomorrow morning, when printed copies are available and a number of necessary preliminary steps have been taken.”

The report by former Forfas head John Travers will outline how the illegal charging of residents in State nursing homes was handled by senior civil servants and members of the Department of Health over a 29-year period.

Health minister Mary Harney, who told the Dáil the scandal arose from “systematic maladministration” in her department, commissioned the report in December.

It is estimated that as many as 30,000 people could be owed up to €2bn as a result of the overcharging.