Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 361: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of money that remains in the Dormant Accounts Fund; when he expects to distribute this money; the way organisations can petition to be included for funding from the fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15275/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The net value of the Dormant Accounts Fund (uncommitted funds) was €68.25 million on 29 February 2012. A summary of the current status of the Dormant Accounts Fund is available on my Department's website.

Government Departments and agencies have to source monies for dormant accounts programmes and measures from their Exchequer allocation, in the same way as with any other funding programmes. When the monies expended on dormant accounts measures and programmes are reimbursed from the Dormant Accounts Fund, such reimbursement is refunded to the Exchequer rather than to the spending Department. For this reason, dormant accounts expenditure is subject to the same constraints within Departments as any other spending programmes.

At a time of severe budgetary pressure, resulting in reduced allocations across Government Departments Votes, spending has been prioritised in line, inter alia, with the outcome of the comprehensive review of expenditure and having regard to key capital investment needs. Expenditure on new dormant accounts measures or programmes could therefore affect existing priority programmes.

The Dormant Accounts Fund provides for consideration of applications received on foot of advertised measures. There are currently no measures open under the Dormant Accounts Fund.