John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)

Does the Tánaiste agree that if one had read section 1 of the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2001, one would not need to be a legal expert to understand that the charges were illegal? Will the Tánaiste comment on the Ombudsman's report of January 2001, which stated that the charges being imposed on elderly people at the time were completely illegal? I refer also to the advice of the Comptroller and Auditor General. Why did the Government ignore the advice of two constitutional officers of the State? The Ombudsman and the Comptroller and Auditor General put down clear markers about the illegal charges. The Government's estimate of the number of people who would be affected by changes to the provisions in respect of people over the age of 70 was inaccurate. The State's estimate of the number of applicants was wrong by approximately 50,000 and its estimate of the cost was wrong by approximately €40 million. The Comptroller and Auditor General and the Ombudsman had put down clear markers in this regard. Why did the Government fail to act?

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