Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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57. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will report on the preparation of the dormant accounts action plan for 2018; if the process has commenced on seeking applications for consideration for disbursement; and if his Department is reviewing the operation of the Dormant Accounts Fund to ensure the efficient and effective allocation of funding in line with the aims of the legislation. [8500/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The legislation governing the Dormant Accounts Funds provides a framework for the disbursement of funds for measures targeted at socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged people, and people with a disability. The funding is allocated through a three-year Disbursement Scheme, underpinned by annual Action Plans which set out specific measures which may draw down from the Fund.  

My Department coordinates the preparation of the Disbursement Scheme and the Annual Action Plans across Government.  The preparation of the 2018 Action Plan has now commenced and I recently wrote to each Minister requesting that their Departments identify possible measures for inclusion in the Action Plan. My Department will review the submissions made by Departments in this regard and, upon completion of this process, I expect to be in a position to submit the final 2018 Action Plan to Government in May 2018.

In parallel with the development of the 2018 Action Plan, my Department has also commenced a review of the previous disbursement scheme which ran from 2014-2016. This review, which will be completed by the end of June 2018, will set out to improve the administrative procedures governing Dormant Accounts funding to maximise the effectiveness with which funds are distributed in order to better support the people and communities at whom the funding is aimed.