Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 438: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount of his Department's budgetary allocation for 2004; the amount of this allocation which was returned to the Department of Finance at year's end; the vote head from which such returned allocations were derived; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23981/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The gross budgetary allocation of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs for 2004 was €309.629 million. The amount returned to the Exchequer at the end of 2004 was €852,000 or 0.28% of the gross allocation. Taking extra appropriations-in-aid receipts into account, the total amount returned to the Exchequer was €3.842 million. The total is made up of the following: extra appropriations-in-aid receipts of €2.99 million — target figure, €19.998 million; amount received €22.988 million, of which €9.787 million was received in December, €4.731 million on 14 December and €5.056 million on 21 December; saving of €736,000 in the administrative budget of the Department with €150,000 of this amount being made available to my Department in 2005 under the efficiency dividend provisions of the Department's administrative budget agreement — savings on administration are not available for spending on programme budgets; and a saving of €116,000 on the programme spend of the Department, representing 0.04% of the gross programme budget of €292.052 million.

The Deputy will agree the above level of expenditure of available resources reflects the effectiveness of the Department in progressing its objectives.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 439: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount his Department has spent to date in 2005 on the implementation of the provisions of the Official Languages Act 2003; his estimate of the amount which his Department will spend on the implementation of the Official Languages Act 2003 for the full year in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24015/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 373 of 30 Samhain 2004 which sets out the position in so far as my Department's services are concerned. The allocation for Oifig an Choimisinéir Teanga for 2005 is €700,000. In so far as my overall responsibility for ensuring that the provisions of the Act are implemented is concerned, the only additional cost incurred to date in 2005 by my Department related to the printing of additional copies of the statutory guidelines published under section 12 of the Act. The cost amounted to €7,431 and was once off.

While other minor costs of this nature may be incurred by my Department during the remainder of 2005, it is not possible to quantify them at this time.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 440: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the reason an application (details supplied) was refused approval under the dormant accounts fund; if he will have this matter reviewed; when he plans to seek further applications under the fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24097/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Decisions on the disbursement of funds from dormant accounts moneys are a matter for the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board, an independent body established under the Dormant Accounts Acts. The board engaged Area Development Management Limited, ADM, to administer the initial round of funding on its behalf involving the disbursement of up to €60 million from the fund.

An application from the group to which the Deputy referred was received by ADM and evaluated against the criteria set out in the published guidelines. I understand the board decided not to approve the application and that the group was advised of the decision on 15 April 2005. I am advised that the group has requested the board to review its decision. The review is being processed and the outcome should be known shortly.

The Deputy will be aware that the Government decided in December 2003 to bring forward legislative changes to arrangements for dormant accounts funding. Arising from the decision, the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Bill was published on 24 June 2004 and became law on 25 May 2005. The Act provides for key changes in decision making on disbursements from the fund and a reconstituted board. Arrangements for future allocations from the fund, which will be subject to the provisions of the amended Act, are under consideration.