Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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637. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the programmes he intends to roll out in 2016 funded by the Dormant Accounts Funds, including the application date, process and purpose of each programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46139/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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The Dormant Accounts Act 2001, together with the Unclaimed Life Assurance Policies Act 2003 and the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Acts 2005-2012, provide a framework for the administration of unclaimed accounts in credit institutions (i.e. banks, building societies and An Post) and unclaimed life assurance policies in insurance undertakings. The legislation introduced a scheme for the disbursement of funds that are unlikely to be reclaimed but only for the purposes of programmes or projects to assist:- the personal and social development of persons who are economically or socially disadvantaged,

- the educational development of persons who are educationally disadvantaged, or

- persons with a disability (within the meaning of the Equal Status Act 2000).

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 reunite 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.

A Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan was adopted on 1 July 2014 which contained an allocation in excess of €26m to be expended through a number of Government Departments and agencies. Under the 2014 Plan, Pobal are administering the Social Enterprise and the Disadvantaged Youth Employment Initiatives/Entrepreneurship measure on behalf of my Department.

The aim of the Social Enterprise Measure is to increase the impact of social enterprises by enhancing their capacity to deliver services and generate traded income through the provision of small capital grants. Funding is being provided to support the development of social enterprises that have the capacity to deliver local, sustainable jobs and which contribute to community gain in disadvantaged areas/for economically and socially disadvantages persons.

The aim of the Youth Employment Measure is to target the most disadvantaged young people who tend not to avail of mainstream supports and are most distant from the labour market or the education system. The opportunity under this measure is to focus on vulnerable youth by providing more intensive engagement and supports to those “most marginalised and disadvantaged” or within “NEET” youth (i.e. a young person who is “Not in Education, Employment or Training”). It is intended that this will help them to participate and succeed in education or training and thereby improve their employability, reducing their longer term dependency on welfare.

Applications under these measures are currently being assessed by Pobal and a decision on the measures for which my Department has responsibility is expected shortly.

Pobal is also administering one measure on behalf of the Department of Social Protection and a number of measures on behalf of the Department of Health. The remaining measures under the 2014 Action Plan are being administered by the Departments themselves.

It is anticipated that a new Dormant Accounts Action Plan will be drafted early in 2016.

Further data in relation to the Dormant Accounts Fund are available on my Department’s website at .