A special Cabinet sub-committee comprising the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, the Tánaiste, the Minister for Finance, Mr Cowen, and the Attorney General, Mr Rory Brady, is to meet today to consider the issue of repaying money to patients of nursing homes which the Supreme Court found last week had been illegally deducted.
The families and the estates of former residents of public nursing homes and long-stay facilities who had pensions and other State payments illegally deducted will be able to apply for repayment of the money, the Minister for Health, Ms Harney, said last night.
The Government bill for the repayments to former patients, their families and estates will cost a minimum of €500 million, and maybe substantially more.
Ms Harney told the Dáil last night the Government was anxious to ensure that individuals affected, as well as their families and the estates of deceased persons, would be repaid as quickly, fairly and efficiently as possible. Above all, the Government wanted to avoid individuals having to take legal action to recoup the money.