Ahern: Nursing home payments will cost at least €850m

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has told the Dáil that repayments to thousands of medical card holders illegally charged for nursing home care will cost the taxpayer at least €850m.

The State is facing the bill as a result of illegally levying charges on such patients from 1976 until late last year, when the practice was halted.