Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 May 2018
32. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the new Dormant Account Fund plan will be published; his plans to increase spending in the coming years under the plan in view of the accumulated funding in the Dormant Account Fund, excluding the reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19103/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department commenced the process of preparing the 2018 Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan in February. In order to initiate the process, I wrote to Ministers in February requesting that their Departments identify potential projects or programmes which might be included in the Action Plan.
Following the receipt of initial proposals from other Departments and agencies, my Department has undertaken a series of bilateral meetings to discuss the potential measures for inclusion in the Action Plan.
I can report that the preparation of the 2018 Dormant Accounts Action Plan is nearing completion and, following submission to Government, I hope to be in a position to publish the Plan in the coming weeks.
Without pre-empting the process of finalising the 2018 Action Plan, I would envisage that the Plan will allocate in the region of €40 million to fund measures aimed at tackling disadvantage. This will be similar to the amount approved in 2017, and a significant increase on the amounts approved in 2014 and 2016, which stood at €26.3 million and €28.5 million respectively. It is important that the level of funding to schemes, programmes and projects is sustainable, so that the fund can continue to support measures in a stable manner over the coming years.
Any measures put forward by Departments must, in the first instance, be provided for in the Vote of the Department or budget of the agency concerned. The expenditure incurred in implementing an approved measure is then reimbursed from the Dormant Accounts Fund. Each Department remains accountable for the administration of the programmes and schemes run under their remit using Dormant Accounts funding.
The forthcoming Action Plan will, as in previous years, set out the details of all new measures which have been allocated Dormant Accounts funding. However, as part of the ongoing review of the general administration of the Dormant Accounts Fund, the Action Plan will also include details of all measures previously approved for funding which are currently underway or which will commence shortly. This will provide for greater certainty and transparency in relation to the outstanding liabilities on the Fund. It will also potentially allow for increased use of the Fund in the future, including, for example, through the reallocation of decommitted funding to new measures.
