Families of wards have no say on compo

Families of seriously ill children and adults awarded a combined €1.3bn in compensation through wards of court system are being “locked out” of any role in how the State invests the funds.

The Dáil’s public accounts committee heard the claim during a meeting with senior court service officials yesterday.

Speaking during a three-hour hearing, court service director of resource management Sean Quigley said 18,500 people — including 14,000 children — classed as “wards of court” are currently in receipt of the awards after high-profile cases.