Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which he will allocate funding from the proceeds of the dormant accounts fund in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2677/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 121: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his Department's projected expenditure on foot of various schemes operated and funded from the proceeds of the dormant accounts fund in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2967/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 123: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the degree to which his Department anticipates continued funding from the dormant accounts fund over the next five years; the degree to which the fund is replenished annually; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2969/09]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 121 and 123 together.

The Dormant Accounts Fund Acts provides for an annual transfer by credit institutions and insurance undertakings of monies in accounts determined to be dormant into the Dormant Accounts Fund (DAF). Since its establishment in May 2003 to the end of December 2008, the net transfers to the DAF have totalled some €306m. It is estimated that for 2009 approx €50m will be spent across various Departments to meet the commitments made to beneficiaries from the Fund. In the case of my own Department, €13m is provided for in 2009 to meet the commitments due to beneficiaries under the various measures within the remit of my department.

With respect to the priorities to be supported from the DAF in 2009, the Government agreed in 2008 to provide €30m for a range of initiatives covering persons with a disability, to support projects in RAPID areas, to tackle homelessness, and for measures in the areas of suicide prevention and substances misuse. Processes are currently underway to seek and assess applications for these funds, with beneficiaries already approved for funding for some measures.

The level of funds transferring to the DAF is declining and the Deputy will appreciate that it is not possible for me to give a more accurate indication of the level of resources that might be available for disbursal in 2009 until the level of transfers become clearer during the year. The value of the Fund at end December 2008, net of liabilities, was some €21.7m. This excludes the amount of some €46m currently maintained in a Reserve Account to meet reclaims and to cover expenses. The reserve is currently set at 15% of the total moneys received by the Fund and not yet reclaimed. Further allocations to specific measures must await information on the value of funds liable to transfer from financial institutions later this year.