Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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562. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development his views on the assessment of the Comptroller and Auditor General that the low level of disbursement from the dormant accounts funds including the allocation of funds to measures which do not fully use the resources, prevents other programmes from being funded; if this has the consequence that the resources available from the fund are not being used in an efficient and effective manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13702/18]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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564. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the review of the dormant accounts disbursement scheme, recommended by the Comptroller and Auditor General (details supplied) will evaluate the appropriateness of the amount set aside in the fund as a statutory reserve; if this requirement can be fulfilled by some alternative arrangement for example insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13704/18]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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565. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the review of the dormant accounts disbursement scheme, recommended by the Comptroller and Auditor General (details supplied) will consider the accounting methods that apply to the dormant accounts fund in which each disbursement, while not taxpayer funded is accounted as a loss to the line department and as a diminution of the resources available to the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13705/18]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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566. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the review of the dormant accounts disbursement scheme recommended by the Comptroller and Auditor General (details supplied) will consider whether reclaims from the fund will continue to be provided for by way of reserve rather than for example to taking an insurance policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13706/18]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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568. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the review of the dormant accounts disbursement scheme recommended by the Comptroller and Auditor General (details supplied) will consider the reasons for the low level of disbursements; if allocating funds to measures which do not fully use the resources prevents other programmes from being funded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13708/18]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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569. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the review of the dormant accounts disbursement scheme recommended by the Comptroller and Auditor General (details supplied) will consider if the public profile of the fund has diminished since the abolition of the dormant accounts board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13709/18]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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573. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the review of the dormant accounts disbursement scheme recommended by the Comptroller and Auditor General (details supplied) will consider if funds dormant since for example the early nineteenth century should continue to be considered in the same way as funds dormant for sixteen years or within the lifetime of persons currently living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13713/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 562, 564 to 566, inclusive, 568, 569 and 573 together.

I refer to the reply to Question No. [530] and Question Nos [531-535] of 8 March, which outlines the position with regard to the review of the Dormant Accounts Disbursement Scheme 2013-2016.

These replies outlined that the Comptroller and Auditor General's report contained a single recommendation that the statutory review of the Disbursement Scheme should be carried out to identify how well the scheme was implemented and how future schemes can be designed to ensure the scheme objectives are met. The report also stated that the review should consider the reasons for the low level of disbursements, whether allocating funds to measures which do not fully use the resources prevent other programmes from being funded, and how the available funding can be best applied.

The replies also noted that following the transfer of the relevant functions to my Department in July 2017, my Department is now undertaking the statutory review, which will be completed by the end of June 2018. The key focus of the review is to addresses the points raised by the Comptroller and Auditor General and to ensure that the significant resources currently available from the fund are used in an efficient and effective manner.  The review will also identify and consider wider and longer term issues, including how to best ensure the long term sustainability of the Dormant Accounts Fund, and public awareness of the Fund . 

Where issues such as the accounting methods or accounting procedures are found to negatively impact on the administration and overall effectiveness of the fund, my Department will liaise with other relevant stakeholders, including the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the National Treasury Management Agency, to ensure that the impact of these issues can be mitigated.

However, it would not be appropriate, at this stage, to speculate on the possible conclusions of the review.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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563. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of housing units, new-build or refurbished to which the dormant accounts fund has contributed since the commencement of the dormant accounts acts 2001 and 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13703/18]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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570. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the review of the dormant accounts disbursement scheme recommended by the Comptroller and Auditor General (details supplied) will consider the way in which the available funding can be best applied including in the area of addressing homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13710/18]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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571. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the review of the dormant accounts disbursement scheme recommended by the Comptroller and Auditor General (details supplied) will consider the way in which to ensure the scheme objectives are met and the way in which to ensure that the significant resources available from the fund are used in an efficient and effective manner including measures to address the homelessness crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13711/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 563, 570 and 571 together.

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. Under the Acts, a three-year Disbursement Scheme is prepared which sets out the priority areas for funding, underpinned by annual Action Plans which outline specific programmes to be funded each year.

The current Disbursement Scheme covering the period 2017-2019 and the previous Disbursement Scheme for 2013-2016 both include a provision to enable the delivery of measures to people who are homeless through the provision of non-accommodation based facilities such as drop-in/day centres. It is a matter for relevant line Departments to develop specific proposals in relation to this objective, for inclusion in the annual Dormant Accounts Action Plan. However, to date, no specific measures addressing this provision have emerged in subsequent Plans.

It would similarly be a matter for the relevant Department sponsoring a specific measure in the Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plans to collect data on the implementation of that measure.

Following the transfer to my Department in July 2017 of functions relating to the Dormant Accounts Funds legislation, my Department now coordinates the preparation of the Disbursement Scheme and the Annual Action Plans across Government. The preparation of the 2018 Action Plan has commenced and Minister Kyne recently wrote to each Minister requesting them to identify potential measures within their areas of responsibility for inclusion in the new Plan.

With regard to the review of the 2013-2016 Disbursement Scheme, the key focus of that review is to address the points raised in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General with regard to the administration of the Dormant Accounts Disbursement Scheme, and to ensure that the significant resources currently available from the fund are used in an efficient and effective manner. As part of this work, the review will consider whether the current operation of Disbursement Schemes is resulting in any unforeseen barriers to the funding of appropriate measures in any particular policy area across Government.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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567. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the review of the dormant accounts disbursement scheme recommended by the Comptroller and Auditor General (details supplied) will consider whether to reinstate a dormant accounts board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13707/18]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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572. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the review of the dormant accounts disbursement scheme recommended by the Comptroller and Auditor General (details supplied) will consider if the reinstatement of a dormant accounts board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13712/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 567 and 572 together.

The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Accounts for the Public Service 2016 indicated that a statutory review of the 2013-2016 Disbursement Scheme (required under the Dormant Accounts Act 2012), which should have been completed by the end of 2016, had not been conducted.

The Comptroller and Auditor General's report contained a single recommendation that the statutory review of the Disbursement Scheme should be carried out to identify how well the scheme was implemented and how future schemes can be designed to ensure the scheme objectives are met. The report also stated that the review should consider the reasons for the low level of disbursements, whether allocating funds to measures which do not fully use the resources prevent other programmes from being funded, and how the available funding can be best applied.

Following the transfer of the relevant functions to my Department in July 2017, my Department is now undertaking the statutory review, which will be completed by the end of June 2018. The key focus of the review is to addresses the points raised by the Comptroller and Auditor General and to ensure that the significant resources currently available from the fund are used in an efficient and effective manner.  The review will also identify and consider wider and longer term issues, including how administration of the fund is best managed over the longer term. 

It would not be appropriate, at this stage, to speculate on the possible conclusions of the review on the question of the future administration of the fund.