Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 16 December 2016
286. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the resource allocation model for the allocation of funds under the Dormant Accounts Fund at the last round; and for the location, model and criteria to be published in detail. [40982/16]
View answerThe Dormant Accounts Act 2001, together with 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 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.
The Act provides for Disbursement Schemes and Action Plans to be prepared by the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in consultation with relevant Government colleagues and others.
A Disbursement Scheme is prepared every three years and sets out the objectives to be achieved by making disbursements from the Fund, and the programmes or projects for which moneys may be disbursed. The Scheme is approved by Government and is required to be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas. The current Disbursement Scheme covers the three year period from December 2013 and is available on my Department's website at http://www.ahrrga.gov.ie/rural/rural-publications/page/5.
My Department is currently carrying out a consultation process seeking proposals for inclusion in the new 2017-2019 Scheme.
Action Plans under the multi-annual Disbursement Scheme are drawn up each year by my Department following consultation with the Minister for Health, the Minister for Education and Skills, the Minister for Social Protection and other relevant Ministers. The 2016 Action Plan is available on my Department’s website at http://test.ahg.gov.ie/app/uploads/1970/01/2016_action_plan_2016.pdf.
The Plan sets out the details of the measures to be implemented by various Government Departments.
The publication of the assessment criteria and the application procedures for Dormant Accounts funding is a matter for each relevant Department. Pobal administers measures under the Dormant Accounts Fund for a number of Departments, including my own, and details of the criteria for the latest relevant measures are available on Pobal’s website at: https://www.pobal.ie/Beneficiaries/DormantAccountsFund/Pages/DAF-Measure%20Facts%20Sheets.aspx.
