Vol. 522 No. 3
181 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Health and Children the amount of money held in each health board's accounts originating from deceased patients or dormant accounts at the present time; the use, if any, this money will be put to; if the health board can have access to these moneys; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18780/00]
The moneys held by health boards in dormant accounts are in respect of patients who have died intestate and for whom no next-of-kin can be traced. By virtue of section 73 of the Succession Act, 1965, the estates of such persons must revert to the State as ultimate successor. They are not the property of the health boards and the health boards do not have any discretion in the matter. These estates are lodged in the Escheated Estates Fund which is administered by the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. Over the past two years substantial amounts have been lodged by health boards to this fund.
The Chief State Solicitor has written to each health board with a view to establishing a standard procedure whereby a list of the amount of intestate moneys held by each board be forwarded to his office each year and arrangements made for the timely transfer of funds to the State.
