Martin to face tough questions about nursing home fees
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin is expected to face tough questions about the scandal surrounding nursing home fees when he appears before the Oireachtas Health Committee today.
The committee is currently examining the Travers Report into how the illegal levying of charges on medical card holders was allowed to continue from 1976 until late last year.
The practice was halted after the Attorney General warned that the charges were "legally unsound" and the State is now facing a massive compensation bill.
Mr Martin is expected to be questioned about the extent of his knowledge of the illegal charges while he was minister for health.
The Travers Report effectively blamed civil servants for allowing the situation to continue, but also said successive ministers should have asked more questions.
However, former Department of Health secretary general Michael Kelly told the committee yesterday that he notified Mr Martin of the problem in 2003, but the Minister failed to act.
Mr Martin has already insisted that he has no recollection of this notification.
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