Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 140: To ask the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 66 of 26 May 2011, if the legislation being prepared that relates to the dissolution of the Dormant Accounts Board is scheduled for publication during the summer session or if he intends to publish at a later date in the lifetime of the 31st Dáil; when money within the account will be available for disbursement; if he can explain past application procedures; and if community projects are entitled to allocation under part 6 of the Acts, including capital schemes. [18038/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Bill 2011 is at an advanced stage of preparation and remains on schedule for publication during the current parliamentary session.

The Dormant Accounts budget for my Department for 2011 is fully committed to existing projects, and my priority must be to ensure that legal contractual commitments are met.

Under past application procedures, the Government made decisions on spending from the Fund, with three Interdepartmental Committees established to oversee the disability, educational disadvantage and social and economic disadvantage categories of Dormant Accounts Funding. Applications received in response to an invitation under section 43 of the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2005 were assessed in accordance with published criteria and the results of the assessments were reported to the Minister.

Following receipt of the results of each assessment and on agreement by the relevant Interdepartmental Committee, the Minister must submit to Government a list of the measures and projects recommended for disbursement from the account and the amounts proposed to be disbursed. The list of approved measures and projects and the amounts to be disbursed is laid before each house of the Oireachtas and is made publicly available.

Community projects are eligible for funding under Part 6 of the 2005 Act, including capital schemes; there are currently no measures open for application under the Dormant Accounts Fund.