Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the level of funding made available by his Department to ADM under the Dormant Accounts Act 2001; the applications made to avail of this fund; and the applications approved to date. [37109/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Decisions on the disbursements of funds from dormant accounts under the initial round of funding were a matter for the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board, an independent body established under the Dormant Accounts Acts. Under this round, the Board received 1,649 applications and approved 521 projects for funding totalling over €60 million. The Board engaged Pobal (formerly Area Development Management Limited — ADM) as a service provider to administer the funding programme on its behalf. To date over €26 million has been transferred directly from the Fund to Pobal in respect of these approved projects. It is anticipated that the balance (€34 million) will be disbursed during the remainder of 2006 and beyond.

Following the enactment of the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2005, decisions on disbursements are made by Government following a transparent process. In accordance with the legislation, the Government approved the allocation of €60 million in 2006 for the following purposes:

€24 million to support projects tackling economic and social disadvantage;

€18 million towards projects tackling educational disadvantage; and

€18 million towards projects assisting persons with a disability.

To date in 2006, under the Economic and Social Disadvantage category, the Government has approved funding in excess of €13.4 million in support of 220 projects as shown in the table.

Pobal is, in the main, being used to receive and carry out the initial assessment of applications. The draw down of funding by successful organisations is subject to individual groups satisfying specific contract conditions. Funding for approved applications will be channelled through the Votes of relevant Government Departments. With regard to the remaining funding measures under the Economic and Social Disadvantage category and also measures relating to Education Disadvantage and People with Disabilities, Government decisions can be expected in late 2006 and early 2007 as applications are received and fully processed.