Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This operation started in January 2014 and the review was to take place within two years and the period in respect of that has somewhat slipped but it will now take place. The terms of reference will be agreed in July and the review will take place in the autumn.

At the time when previous Ministers made commitments that was done having regard to the maximum funds available of €110 million and the potential pool of 15,000 applicants and that the question of reviewing eligibility could be considered following the establishment of fund in the event of application not resulting in a significant expenditure of the fund. It was envisaged that the maximum funds would be €110 million and it was only thereafter that new eligibility could be considered. At this point we have only 20% of the believed eligible people who have applied and €43 million has been expended. Those are the issues that will have to be examined in accordance with what was said during the debate in the previous Dáil. That is the backdrop to it as I understand it.

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