Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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The Department of Rural and Community Development has responsibility for the overall administration of the Dormant Accounts Fund, with individual Government 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. The measures to be funded are identified each year in annual Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plans, all of which are available here www.gov.ie/en/collection/769773-dormant-accounts-fund-annual-action-plans-and-reports/.

The 2022 Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan approved funding for 42 measures across 10 Departments, up to a total of €55.5 million. There is currently no measure that funds school completion projects.

As noted, each Department is responsible for identifying and delivering of their own measures within their policy areas. Organisations access funding through the application processes specific to each relevant measure.

Within my own Department, the total voted allocation for Dormant Account measures in 2022 is €12.57 million. This supports measures including Rethink Ireland, Supports for Social Enterprise, the Senior Alerts Scheme and Supports for Volunteering. Relevant organisations can access funding through regular calls by Rethink Ireland, and through the supports for social enterprise, which includes a grant funding scheme administered by Pobal.