Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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300. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she expects to be in a position to allocate funding from dormant accounts to Foróige; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15037/17]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Dormant Accounts funding is disbursed through programmes and projects which form part of the Dormant Accounts Fund annual Action Plans. Foróige received funding under the 2014 and 2016 Dormant Account Action Plans for a programme which was included in those plans by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

My Department’s role is to prepare a Disbursement Scheme every three years which sets out the objectives to be achieved by making disbursements from the Dormant Accounts Fund, and the strategies for achieving those objectives. My Department also co-ordinates the preparation of annual Action Plans in accordance with the three-year Disbursement Scheme, which contain the details of specific programmes and projects for delivery across Government Departments.

My Department is currently finalising a new Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursement Scheme, following a detailed consultation process across Government Departments. This Scheme will cover the period 2017-2019 and will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval shortly.

Following Government approval of the Disbursement Scheme, an Action Plan for 2017 will be drawn up in consultation with relevant Government Departments, including the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. It will be a matter for the Departments in question to propose specific schemes or programmes for inclusion in the 2017 Action Plan and to invite applications under their own schemes.

Under the Dormant Accounts Fund legislation, relevant Ministers are required to prepare a list of applications which they recommend should receive a disbursement under their schemes, and submit this list to me for approval.