Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witness for her presentation. I apologise that I do not know as much as I should about this issue. Ms Farrell has painted a pretty bleak picture of the whole system. On her last point about a lack of transparency and accountability - this will not be of much comfort to her - that seems to be a predominant theme in how we do things in this country. I get the impression from what Ms Farrell has said that from a financial perspective, wards are at the mercy of people who play with their money but who do not take responsibility for it. The wards and their families do not really know what they are doing with the money.

In terms of investing the money, does the Courts Service farm that out to private investors to do as they see fit with it?

If so, who gets the opportunity to invest the money? I get the impression that Ms Farrell has no say in how the money is invested. Am I right in believing she does not find out how it is invested? Is that true?