Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)

Will the Government return to the Supreme Court to test the legality of invoking the Statute of Limitations? Has the Government considered doing so? The Supreme Court judgment takes into account the rights of the State's limited liabilities by reliance on the Statute of Limitations. Has the Tánaiste received definitive legal advice from the Attorney General on this matter?

The Tánaiste quoted a figure of €532 million to cover all repayments for the six year period. The 2001 legislation was pivotal in reactivating this issue within the Department of Health and Children. Can the Tánaiste give us some idea of how much of the €532 million relates to the 2001 legislation? That is pivotal to what the former Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, said he knew nothing about. Ministers of State in his Department considered it very serious but we were not made aware of the substantial political importance involved until the Tánaiste made her announcement in the Dáil Chamber.

What is so important about the South Eastern Health Board legal advice that the Tánaiste is now attempting to cover up? Does this cover-up relate to court cases taken by patients in that health board area or does the legal advice relate to court cases pending from health board officials or other State employees in that area? We need clear answers because this issue is quite substantial and the Tánaiste is fudging on it every time we ask about it.

I would also like the Tánaiste to point out from where the figure of €1.15 billion came. This figure was given to the Supreme Court by counsel for the State and relates to charges going back to 1976. The Tánaiste has not given a breakdown of the figures. A Cabinet sub-committee must surely at this stage have some better working figures than merely the figure of €532 million. Can the Tánaiste supply a breakdown of these figures? How much of it relates to public nursing home charges, to long term psychiatric patients, to patients with intellectual disabilities, to patients who cannot represent their own interests? Can the Tánaiste give a more detailed breakdown of the figure of €532 million, which covers the six year period?

Before the Tánaiste leaves the Chamber today, can she clarify the issue regarding the Statute of Limitations and how far the Government has gone in considering invoking it?

See this speech in context