Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

No. The reason the Office of Wards of Court was written to was a large number of people in private nursing homes were wards of court and the cost of their nursing home care was being paid from the ward funds. It would, therefore, have been appropriate for that office to test whether or not the person had a medical card, whether they should be charged in the private nursing homes. This request was put into the Office of Wards of Court at the time. An application was made to the High Court. The High Court allowed the writ to be issued and served but not progressed. Was there any correspondence between the Office of Wards of Court and the Department? The job of the Office of Wards of Court is to protect the assets of the ward.