Written answers

Tuesday, 19 May 2015

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Dormant Accounts Fund Administration

Photo of Séamus KirkSéamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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454. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a full breakdown on the disbursement of Dormant Account Funding, over the past five years, by county and by project basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19347/15]

Photo of Séamus KirkSéamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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455. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to release Dormant Account Funding to community groups; the grant schemes available, regarding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19348/15]

Photo of Ann PhelanAnn Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 454 and 455 together.

Under the balances on dormant accounts with banks, building societies and An Post and the net encashment value of certain life assurance policies are paid into the Dormant Accounts Fund, which is managed by the . The primary purpose of the legislation is to re-unite the original account holders with their moneys, including all interest due. In addition, the legislation provides that disbursements from the fund may be made for charitable purposes or for purposes of community benefit.

Since its establishment in April 2003 to the end of 31 March 2015, the transfers to the Dormant Accounts Fund have totalled some €781m, which includes interest earned of approximately €41.86m. Funds reclaimed in that period by account holders amounted to approximately €299m. €301m of disbursements have been approved, with €254m already expended by a large number of community groups and organisations under a range of measures administered by Pobal on behalf of a number of Government Departments and agencies. Further data in relation to the Dormant Accounts Fund are available on my Department’s website at .

A full breakdown on the disbursement of Dormant Account Funding measures, over the past five years, by county and by project basis from my Department’s Vote is set out at Table 1 below.

In accordance with the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2012, a new Disbursement Scheme was approved by Government in December 2013. The 2012 Act also provides for the preparation of an Action Plan to give effect to the Scheme. The current Plan includes some €26 million of measures across a range of Government Departments and Agencies that will provide diverse supports for disadvantaged communities, including measures under my Department to promote social enterprise and innovation, both urban and rural, and measures to promote youth employment, employability and entrepreneurship.

Pobal will administer a number of measures on behalf of my Department which are scheduled to be open for applications in July 2015. These will be publicly advertised and details will be available on Pobal’s website. Measures will include social enterprise development initiatives, supports for vulnerable groups of young people, young people in disadvantaged areas and for work to promote youth employment, employability and entrepreneurship on behalf of my Department.

Pobal will also administer the training and support services for home carers on behalf of the Department of Social Protection and a range of measures on behalf of the Department of Health. A complete listing of all measure s included in the current Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan is set out at Table 2 below. Measures not administered by Pobal are being rolled out by the relevant lead Department.

Table 1

Summary of Dormant Accounts Measures paid through the vote of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government 2010 - 2015

20102011201220132014County2015Total
€106,377€82,562€3,030€7,762€29,600Carlow€0€229,332
€129,328€52,650€4,580€6,037€14,473Cavan€0€207,068
€116,633€14,383€16,332€0€12,000Clare€0€159,348
€766,370€275,477€53,061€26,101€42,297Cork€0€1,163,305
€0€12,000€5,048€0€12,000Donegal€0€29,048
€2,451,961€689,186€309,786€115,405€370,374Dublin€0€3,936,713
€342,496€68,311€31,608€15,088€12,000Galway€0€469,503
€76,745€24,600€126,955€1,231,446€139,500Kerry€0€1,599,246
€155,960€20,054€22,239€8,257€12,000Kildare€0€218,511
€87,632€79,032€7,200€220€12,000Kilkenny€0€186,083
€496€0€0€0€12,000Laois€0€12,496
€0€0€0€0€12,000Leitrim€0€12,000
€484,359€157,665€124,882€13,156€1,095,630Limerick City€137,760€2,013,453
€20,782€22,736€6,350€77,746€12,000Longford€0€139,614
€175,947€28,580€7,565€400€12,000Louth€0€224,492
€0€0€85,706€2,295€12,000Mayo€8,400€108,400
€46,363€1,310€11,372€0€12,000Meath€0€71,045
€0€0€0€0€12,000Monaghan€0€12,000
€0€17,416€250€4,342€12,000Offaly€0€34,008
€0€0€0€0€12,000Roscommon€0€12,000
€70,799€16,026€5,200€0€12,000Sligo€0€104,024
€228,677€120,697€13,792€15,178€12,000Tipperary€0€390,345
€112,364€27,164€104,200€30,380€12,000Waterford€0€286,108
€49,539€54,345€122,967€0€12,400Westmeath€0€239,251
€149,315€40,524€100,380€550€20,909Wexford€0€311,678
€73,997€1,880€9,614€0€12,000Wicklow€8,400€105,891
€5,646,139€1,806,599€1,172,116€1,554,363€1,941,183Total€154,560€12,274,960

Table 2

Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2014

The following table provides a summary of measures and maximum amount of moneys to be disbursed under the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2014 under the relevant Government Department/Agency

Lead Department/Agency responsible for measures under the 2014 Dormant Accounts Action PlanMaximum fundingDescription
Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government DECLG€5,000,000Social Innovation Fund 50 per cent contribution (with the other 50 per cent of costs being met from philanthropic sources)
DECLG€1,000,000Social Enterprise development initiatives
DECLG€500,000Supports for vulnerable groups of young people, young people in disadvantaged areas and for youth work to promote youth employment, employability and entrepreneurship
DECLG€400,000To facilitate the implementation of the new PPN structures across the Local Government Sector during 2014
DECLG€150,000Community Partnership Media Campaign
Department of Justice and Equality

DJE
€1,700,000Establishment of a new Garda Youth Diversion Project and the provision of additional supports for existing projects
DJE€1,000,000Establishment of Mentoring Programme
DJE€60,000Additional Intervention Training for Youth Justice Workers
DJE€50,000Emergency Support Services Training towards pathways to employment for disadvantaged young people
DJE€400,000Expansion of services to work towards engaging hard to reach young people in the Limerick City and Mid-west area
DJE€120,000Measure to address the social, economic and educational disadvantages of victims of trafficking and persons/groups at risk of human trafficking
DJE€50,000Helpline Services for victims of crime
DJE€50,000Specialist Services to victims attending court
Irish Prison Service€189,275Community Based Health and First Aid in Irish Prisons
DJE€166,666Supports services to immigrants to access employment
Department of Social Protection

DSP
€1,000,000Training and support services for home carers
Department of Children and Youth Affairs

DCYA
€775,000Big Brother Big Sisters Programme
DCYA€600,000Youth Employability Initiative
DCYA€7,000,000Evidence based programme targeted at children’s experiences of poverty and poorer social outcomes
DCYA€100,000Development of a phone app for young people in care
DCYA€30,000Aftercare information packs for young persons
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

DTTS
€728,474Community Sports Physical Activity Hubs
DTTS€1,535,700National Sports Education and Training Hubs
Department of Education and Skills

DES
€500,000Inclusion of Children with Special Needs in Early Years Settings
Department of Health

DH
€1,200,000Substance misuse/prevention – development of drug and alcohol awareness campaigns
DH€600,000Local area co-ordination initiatives
DH€600,000Advanced best practice in meeting HIQA Disability Standards
DH€400,000Health-related supports to assist young people with disabilities and autism to make the transition from second level education to further education, training and employment
DH€400,000Person-centre innovations in the delivery of non-centre based respite services

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