Who ordered patient welfare deductions?

IN A letter aptly headlined 'Patients must get their money back' (Irish Examiner, November 2), I called on the health boards and the Government to make restitution to residents of long-stay community hospitals for money unlawfully deduced from their weekly social welfare allowance.

Our efforts seem to have borne some fruit, at least to the extent that the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, and the Government, have admitted that such deductions - 80% being the usual level - were illegal.

Notwithstanding her latest offer of €2,000 per patient to an estimated 20,000 people - announced on Tuesday - she was quoted earlier as saying that because the deductions were made in 'good faith,' there was no moral or legal obligation to make recompense.