The scheme to pay back people who were illegally charged for nursing home care has finally commenced. An estimated 70,000 people or their estates can now apply for repayment. The scheme covers long-stay residents of public and other residential facilities and/or those who occupied a private nursing and who were wrongfully charged at any time between August 1976 and December 2004. According to the HSE, people who were wrongfully charged ‘are generally defined as those who had or were eligible for a medical card and should not have been charged for publicly funded residential care, but were charged what are known as public long-stay charges’.

The Irish Nursing Homes Organisation has criticised what it regards as the Government’s failure to reform the Nursing Home Subvention scheme. “The failure of the Government to radically reform the subvention scheme for persons in long-term residential care is extremely disappointing, and is causing serious distress for many elderly people and their families all over the country,” said Tadhg Daly, chief executive of the Irish Nursing Homes Organisation (INHO).

Proposals to bring back the regular right to trial by jury were unveiled by the Government today – although Ministers plan to keep the option of having a judge decide some cases alone. Last year the Government agreed to get rid of Diplock courts – introduced in 1973 to combat intimidation of jurors by paramilitary groups – in response to the IRA declaration that it would end all activity.

The Equality Commission was under fire last night for “not practising what it preaches” after confidential figures revealed it employs a significantly skewed number of Catholics and women. According to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act and published by the Belfast Telegraph today, the watchdog admits that Protestant and male employees are significantly under-represented in its workforce.

A comprehensive review of child and adolescent mental-health services shows the urgent need for action to improve services, the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY), Barney McNeany, said yesterday. A review of the services, published last week, highlighted the lack of appropriate facilities, problems recruiting staff and the need for expanded services.

Pressure was once again mounting on the government last night to scrap Northern Ireland’s controversial remission policy that allowed predatory sex offender Trevor Hamilton to walk free from jail early to kill. A Serious Case Review into the monitoring and management of one of the province’s most dangerous men raised concerns about the policy that permitted Hamilton to walk free after serving just half of a seven year sentence for rape – despite serious concerns about his likelihood to reoffend – and the fact that he was not judged suitable for home leave.

Up to 3,000 children under the age of 18 could have their details on police databases, the Northern Ireland children’s commissioner has said. Commissioner Barney McNeany said many of the young people had not been charged or been found guilty of offences. He said he wants “urgent meetings” with the police and government. “The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child will consider this to be breach of children’s rights,” he said.

A review into child and adolescent mental health services has revealed that urgent action must be taken to improve services, according the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, Barney McNeany. A review of the services, which has been published as part of the work of the Bamford Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability, has highlighted the lack of appropriate facilities, problems recruiting staff and the need for expanded services.

Department of health chiefs have withheld thousands of pounds worth of funding from a sexual abuse charity it was claimed last night. Rape Crisis Centre (RCC) boss Eileen Calder says the Department of health is holding back one-third of last year’s funding which amounts to £20,000. The sexual abuse councillor also says she and a colleague haven’t been paid since the middle of July because department chiefs have failed to deposit vital funds in the RCC bank account.

Police must be involved in community restorative justice schemes or funding will be denied, the government says. Publishing new draft proposals for 12-week consultation, Justice Minister David Hanson said he accepted previous plans “did not get it right”. “Society would not tolerate officially approved schemes becoming a tool for local paramilitary control, and nor will the government,” he said.