Minister Martin held to account

MINISTER Micheál Martin, as usual, is long on rhetoric and short on fact (Irish Examiner August 25). It was Mary Harney who estimated the cost of the nursing home debacle at E1 billion.

The Travers report found that Micheál Martin had been given a detailed brief but his defence is that ‘I didn’t read it.’

His two junior ministers, Ivor Callely and Tim O’Malley did read it and Mr O’Malley told Travers he understood ‘the legal, operational, financial and political implications.’