Report on nursing home fees to be made public today

The Travers Report into the illegal levying of nursing home fees on medical card holders is due to be made public later today.

The practice of levying such fees was halted late last year after the Attorney General warned that it was legally unsound.

Former Forfas official John Travers was subsequently asked to investigate how the charges were allowed to continue since 1976 and if any officials were aware of the illegality of the situation.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Mary Harney, has already indicated that the report will criticise misadministration by certain officials.

The State is facing a compensation bill of up to €2bn because of the matter.

The Travers Report was due to be published yesterday, but was delayed on the advice of the Attorney General, who said it should instead be placed before the Oireachtas health committee, giving it privilege from litigation.