Joe O'Brien - Green Party
Minister O’Brien publishes the Dormant Accounts Fund Annual Report 2020
18th June, 2021
Minister Joe O’Brien (Green Party)
Dublin Fingal
18th June 2021
Minister O’Brien publishes the Dormant Accounts Fund Annual Report 2020
€93.5 million in funding in 2020 to help address disadvantage
Joe O’Brien TD, Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development, today (18th, June 2021) published the 2020 Dormant Accounts Fund Annual Report.
The Dormant Accounts Fund is used to fund measures that address economic, social, or educational disadvantage and to support people with a disability. In 2020 expenditure from the fund amounted to €93.5 million and the Annual Report details how that money was spent on Dormant Accounts measures over the year across 10 Government Departments.
Publishing the Annual Report today, Minister O’Brien said:
“In 2020 over €93 million was provided for vital projects across Ireland to address a diverse range of issues such as long-term unemployment, youth disadvantage, migrant integration and probation supports to prevent re-offending. The report I’m publishing today provides the detail of that expenditure and how different Government Departments have utilised the funding to enhance social inclusion and address disadvantage.”
The Minister continued:
“Dormant Accounts funding makes a real difference to individuals and communities right across the country. Fingal County Council libraries have benefitted to the sum of €40,350 which has allowed for the expansion of its Autism Friendly Libraries project that has been operating on a pilot basis. Nine libraries across Fingal have been part of these designated autism-friendly sessions each month, and regularly schedule ‘quiet time’ and ‘relaxed programming’ events which cater to people with autism. The funding has also meant that the “In Your Shoes” Autism Experience Exhibition by autism advocacy group AsIAm has been hosted in six branches in Fingal helping visitors to engage with and understand living with autism.
“The fund was particularly important last year in that it allowed €50 million in grant supports which assisted charities, community and voluntary organisations, and social enterprise to contribute to the community response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Additional funding in Fingal was also allocated to existing community infrastructure to ensure that it is inclusive and welcoming to LGBTI+ people to include the provision of pop-up LGBTI+ services.”
The Dormant Accounts Fund Annual Report 2020 is available on gov.ie.
ENDS
For further information contact johanna.walsh@oireachtas.ie
NOTE TO EDITOR:
The Minister attended at Shankill Tennis Club (as per the attached photo) to launch the 2020 Dormant Accounts Fund Annual Report. The venue was chosen as a DAF supported project that runs an ‘Enjoy Tennis’ programme for visually impaired people who want to play tennis.