Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 189: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the expenditure by his Department from the proceeds of the National Lottery, the dormant accounts fund or other sources in the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37294/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, my Department was established in 2002, bringing together a range of functions previously held by six different Government Departments. Details in relation to National Lottery and Dormant Accounts funding received by my Department for the period 2002-2005, which are included in the Audited Appropriation Accounts published by the Comptroller and Auditor General each year, is summarised below:

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 190: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount spent on various projects under his aegis from the dormant accounts fund in the past 12 months; the current reserves in the fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37295/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Following the enactment of the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2005, the Government approved the allocation of €60 million from the Dormant Accounts Fund in 2006 under the following headings:

€24 million to support economic and social disadvantage measures;

€18 million to tackle educational disadvantage; and

€18 million to assist persons with a disability.

Under the Economic and Social Disadvantage category, funding in excess of €13.4m has been approved to date by Government in support of 220 projects as follows:

€11.35m to fund 188 priority projects in RAPID areas;

€0.575m to fund 6 projects providing supports for vulnerable immigrants;

€1.0m to 20 projects supporting suicide prevention; and

€0.503m for 6 projects providing addiction counselling and employment supports for offenders / ex-offenders.

It is anticipated that the successful applicants for the other funding measures within all three categories will be decided in late-2006 and early-2007 as the applications received are fully processed.

Adjusted for liabilities of €93.8m, the current value of the Dormant Accounts Fund is €143m. The liabilities in question relate to approved funding that has yet to be drawn down as follows:

(a) €33.8 million remaining to be drawn down from €60m approved prior to 2006 by the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursement Board; and

(b) €60 million approved by Government for 2006 as outlined above.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 191: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the expenditure by his Department under the CLÁR programme in the past five years; if the funding is derived from the dormant accounts fund, the national lottery or other sources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37296/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, the CLÁR Programme is a targeted investment programme for rural areas. Earlier this year, following a further analysis of the 2002 population census data, new areas were selected for inclusion in the Programme and it now covers parts of 22 counties and all of Co. Leitrim and benefits a population of nearly 727,000. To meet the increased demands arising from the expansion, I secured an increase in CLÁR funding of approximately €9m for 2006, bringing the overall level of funding available this year to €22.95m.

Expenditure under the Programme in the period 2002-2005 is set out in the table.

The CLÁR Programme is Exchequer funded and funding is not sourced from either the Dormant Accounts Fund or the National Lottery.