Travers report - Politicians should be accountable

The report of John Travers, the former head of Forfás, clearly demonstrates that the Department of Health was aware of uneasiness over the illegal practice of withholding part of the pensions of nursing home residents over the past 28 years.

During that period, health board officials, eminent barristers and others articulated concerns about the practice, but nothing was done, and now the Exchequer is faced with repayment bills amounting to billions of euro.

According to the Travers report, the shortcomings were at both the political and administrative levels. The administrative failures were most obvious, because the report catalogues the systematic failure of the Department of Health to deal with the pensions issue, even though departmental officials were repeatedly warned of the dubious legality of withholding any of the money.