Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if funds were available or ring-fenced for distribution to the designated new RAPID areas (details supplied) for the projects approved by the area implementation teams when in December 2009 the previous Government confirmed its approval for disbursements from the Dormant Accounts Fund for a once-off measure up to the value of €1.25 million, or at the time the projects were approved by Pobal in December 2010 and, if so, the reason payments were not made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39163/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Under Government Accounting procedures, disbursements on Dormant Accounts measures are paid in the first instance "up front" from a Department's Vote in the same way as with any other spending programme. My Department has to source funding for Dormant Accounts programmes from our Exchequer allocation in the annual Revised Estimates Volume.

I can confirm that no funds were allocated or ringfenced to meet the costs of the projects referred to in the question at any time. The Dormant Accounts capital budget for my Department for 2011 was fully committed to existing projects and the matter of progressing the projects in the new RAPID towns to contract stage will be kept under active review in the light of availability of funding in 2012.