Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 March 2018
567. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked 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]
Amharc ar fhreagra572. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked 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]
Amharc ar fhreagraI 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.
