Reaction: Opposition parties have called for the resignation of the former Minister for Health Micheal Martin over his handling of the illegal overcharging of pensioners for state care. Following the publication of the Travers report today, the Labour party said Mr Martin was "not competent to hold office.
Fine Gael said "a minister who presided over such systemic maladministration should have no option but to tender his resignation".
The Green Party said Mr Martin's position "now appears untenable" and it was not prepared to stand by "while this Government dumps on civil servants."
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said the report was a damning indictment of the record of the Government, in particular Mr Martin and the Taoiseach whom Mr Rabbitte claims was also aware of the overcharging. He said the report does not exonerate Mr Martin.
"The report makes clear that the only Minister to engage with the issue up to recent times was the late John Boland who brought a Bill to cure the defect and got government approval for that Bill.
"For reasons Mr Travers was unable to determine, the proposed Bill was not proceeded with by the new Government when Dr Rory O'Hanlon took over as Minister for Health," said Mr Rabbitte.
"Any analysis of the report could leave nobody in any doubt that as the Minister who presided over this disastrous episode, that could cost the taxpayer as much as 2billion, during all the most relevant years Micheal Martin is not competent to remain in ministerial office."
"We know from the statement made to Mr Travers by the Secretary General of the Department of Health, Michael Kelly, that on the day of the MAC meeting in December 2003 that, when the Minister arrived 'he briefed him on the discussion so far, including nursing home charges... Nowhere in Minister Martin's statement to Travers is this version of events contested."
Mr Rabbitte said the public will be outraged if a senior civil servant bears sole responsibility for the overcharging controversy.
Fine Gael's health spokesman Dr Liam Twomey said Mr Martin has no option but to tender his resignation. "Mr Martin must take responsibility for the performance failures of the Department of Health while he was in charge of that Department. "Mr Kelly believes that he gave a crucial folder seeking legal advice to the Minister and another official recalls seeing the folder in the Ministerial suite.
"Minister Martin did not deny getting the folder but instead hides behind questioning what purpose would have been served by giving it to him. It is difficult to understand why Mr Kelly would lie about these issues," he added.
"When the issue of illegal charges was raised by Deputy Enda Kenny in the Dail, the Tanaiste took personal charge of getting legal advice. This was in sharp contrast to Minister Martin's hands-off approach".
Both Fine Gael and Labour say questions must be asked about the competence of the Minister of State at the department Ivor Callelly in the matter. The Green party said the position of Mr Martin "appeared to be untenable in light of the clear conflict of evidence between Minister Martin and former General Secretary Mr Kelly in the Travers report."
Green Party Chairman and health spokesman John Gormley accused the Government of seeking to scapegoat civil servants and to protect politicians with responsibility for health.
"Ministers Callely, O'Malley and Martin all share to some degree in the culpability for this debacle. However, in the report Mr Kelly is very clear that he spoke directly to Minister Martin about the matter.
"Given that Mr Kelly has now been forced to move from the Department of Health, it is clear that he is taking the brunt of the blame, while Minister Martin seems to be getting away scot free.
Support gropup Age Action said the "outrageous inability of political and Civil Service seniors to watch out for the interests of frail older people over about 30 years should not be allowed to happen again."
"Years of nod and wink, and shuffle, rather than effective administration and political leadership have denied older people perhaps up to EUR2 billion, causing hardship to many," a statement said.
"It is vital that older people get the money due them, quickly and without fuss.
"As important, there needs to be a proper debate, involving all interests, on the care of the frail elderly, not just the 5 per cent or so who go into nursing homes. There has to be a new emphasis, too, on the quality of care for older people, which has often been absent in the current controversy."