People repaid for illegal nursing home charges are not likely to have their pensions affected, the Minister for Social Affairs said today.
Speaking in the Dáil, Seamus Brennan said until the repayments scheme is finalised, he could not speak with certainty. But he said it was his "intention that any repayments will not impact on current pension entitlements".
The Cabinet has yet to approve a scheme following the Supreme Court decision that legislation to legalise pension deductions from people in residential care was unconstitutional.
Mr Brennan was answering a question from Labour spokesman on social affairs Willie Penrose, who believes the reimbursement could push many pensioners over the means test limit used in determining pension entitlement.
A political storm erupted last year after the Attorney General Rory Brady advised the Department of Health that the charges - deducted from pensions and allowances - were "legally unsafe".
A report by former public servant John Travers was highly critical of the department, saying senior officials were aware the charges were legally questionable.
Tánaiste and Minister for Health Mary Harney, and her predecessor at the Department, Micheál Martin - now Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment - were subjected to sustained Opposition criticism.
An Oireachtas Committee today began investigating the charges.
Ms Harney rushed legislation through the Oireachtas in an attempt to legalise the fees retrospectively, but President McAleese referred the Bill to the Supreme Court, which found the law to be unconstitutional.