Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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63. To ask the Minister for Finance the position regarding unclaimed prize bond prizes; the way these funds are used; the role, if any, of the dormant accounts funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28571/13]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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64. To ask the Minister for Finance the value of unclaimed prize bonds in each of the past ten years. [28572/13]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 64 together.

The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) is responsible for the State Savings schemes which includes Prize Bonds. I am informed by the NTMA that they define unclaimed prizes from the Prize Bond draws as prizes that have remained unclaimed for more than six months. Unclaimed prizes remain a liability of the NTMA to the Prize Bond holder – or their estate in the case of deceased customers. Unclaimed prizes are not transferred to the Dormant Accounts fund but are held in a Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) account and thus are available to the Exchequer.

The NTMA has advised that the value of unclaimed prizes from the Prize Bond draw amounted to €2.146 million as at the end of May 2013. Amounts unclaimed in respect of previous years are as follows:

Details of all unclaimed prizes are available on the website StateSavings.ie or can be obtained by writing to State Savings, GPO, FREEPOST, Dublin 1.