Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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488. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the way in which rural parishes and church organisations can access funds from the dormant accounts fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16727/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The 2020 Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan approved funding for 43 measures across 9 departments, up to a total of €45.5 million. The Department of Rural and Community Development has responsibility for the overall administration of the Dormant Accounts Fund, with each individual Departments responsible for the delivery and administration of their own measures. All measures funded must be in line with the objectives set out in the legislation, that is, measures that address economic, social or educational disadvantage or support persons with a disability.

Within my own Department the total voted allocation for Dormant Account measures in 2020 is €12.570 million. This supports measures including Supports for Social Enterprise, Senior Alerts Scheme and Supports for Volunteering. There is no specific measure in place for funding rural parishes and church organisations, however, the measures being delivered provide supports for individuals, groups and communities right across the country, in line with the objectives set out in the legislation. I would note that many schemes operated by my Department provide supports for rural areas and communities, and specific schemes such as the Community Enhancement Programme can provide small capital grants for facilities in both rural and urban areas to local voluntary and community organisations.