Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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951. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if a charity (details supplied) is to be considered for funding under the dormant accounts fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27678/17]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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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 Dormant Accounts Fund is managed by the National Treasury Management Agency.

The Acts provide for the disbursement of funds 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.

My Department's role in relation to the Dormant Accounts Fund is to prepare a Disbursement Scheme every three years, setting 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 line with the three-year Disbursement Scheme. The Action Plans contain the details of specific programmes and projects to be funded across Government Departments with the support of the Dormant Accounts Fund. It is a matter for the relevant Government Departments to advertise the details of their programmes and invite applications for funding once the Action Plan is approved each year.

My Department is currently finalising a new Dormant Accounts Action Plan for 2017, following a detailed consultation process across Government Departments. It would appear that any funding available from the Dormant Accounts Fund for the organisation referred to by the Deputy might be appropriate to schemes operated by the Department of Health. Any further enquiries in relation to the matter would be best addressed to that Department.