Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 March 2018
531. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the review of the dormant accounts disbursement scheme will include consideration of whether the reserve applied to the fund is excessive having regard to the operation of the fund to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11123/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra532. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if, after the review of the dormant accounts disbursement scheme, dormant accounts expenditure will continue to be subject to the same constraints within Departments as other spending programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11124/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra533. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if, after the review of the dormant accounts disbursement scheme expenditure on new dormant accounts measures or programmes will continue to be treated as increasing Government debt levels (details supplied); if each euro spent from the fund will continue to be regarded in accounting terms as a potential Government liability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11125/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra534. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if, after the review of the dormant accounts disbursement scheme provision of reclaims from the fund will continue to be provided for by way of reserve rather than, for example, by way of an insurance premium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11126/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra535. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the review of the dormant accounts disbursement scheme will consider the accounting methods that apply to the dormant accounts fund (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11127/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 531 to 535, inclusive, together.
The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Accounts for the Public Service 2016 indicated that a statutory review of the 2014-2016 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. The key focus of the review is to addresses the points raised by the Comptroller and Auditor General and to ensure that the resources currently available from the fund are used in an efficient and effective manner.
In line with the recommendation of the Comptroller and Auditor General, the review of the Disbursement Scheme will set out to improve the administrative procedures in place to maximise the effectiveness with which funds are distributed in order to better support the people and communities at whom the funding is aimed. It will specifically address the issue of underspends and ensure improved administrative procedures are put in place to maximise the impact of available funds. 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. The review will be completed by the end of June 2018.
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.
