Minister Joe O’Brien publishes the Dormant Accounts Action Plan in Rush
Today (23rd November), Minister of State for Community Development, Integration and Charities Joe O’Brien TD announced funding of €47.6 million from the Dormant Accounts Fund to address disadvantage right across the country.
The Minister made the announcement while launching the 2024 Dormant Accounts Action Plan at the “BoxUp” project at Rush South Beach, County Dublin
BoxUp, which has units at both Rush South Beach and Skerries Community centre, is supported by Sport Ireland through the Dormant Accounts Fund, is a free equipment sharing solution that aims to tackle inequality in sport by providing free access to sporting equipment.
The Dormant Accounts Fund can be used to fund measures that address economic, social, or educational disadvantage and to support people with a disability. The 2024 Action Plan allocates funding of €47.6 million to 52 measures to be delivered across 11 Government Departments.
Launching the Action Plan, Minister O’Brien said:
“I am delighted to launch the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2024 which provides funding of €46.7 million to help address disadvantage right across Ireland. The 52 measures approved for funding in 2024 will be implemented across Government and will help to address a diverse range of issues such as long-term unemployment, Traveller equality, youth disadvantage, migrant integration and probation supports to prevent re-offending.”
The Minister continued:
“Dormant Accounts funding makes a real difference to individuals and communities right across the country. The BoxUp project in Skerries and Rush South Beach is just one good example of addressing inequality through community action. The 2024 Action Plan being published today will help ensure that we can continue to support those who need it most during these challenging times. I am particularly pleased to see continued support for traveller initiatives and services across 5 departments.”
The Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan 2024 is available to view here.
ENDS
Contact:
The Department of Rural and Community Development Press Office
01-773 6843 / 087-1734633
Media
Minister Joe O’Brien and Green Party Local Area Representative for Rush-Lusk, Suzanne Young at the launch of the Dormant Accounts Action Plan in Rush
Note to photo desks:
Official photography is available from Julien Behal Photography
Notes to editors;
BoxUp
BoxUp is supported by Sport Ireland, through the Dormant Accounts Fund, it is available in parks and communities across Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.
Dormant Account Action Plan 2024
In total, 52 different measures, to the value of €47.6 million will be supported under the 2024 Action Plan. A full list of measures to be funded under the 2024 Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan is set out in the table below.
Many measures have been funded in previous Action Plans and have now been approved for continued funding in 2024 to enable the measures to operate again next year. The majority of approved measures will progress in 2024, with each Government Department responsible for delivery of their own measures. Minister of State Joe O’Brien TD asked Ministers to continue to propose actions that would be of benefit to the Traveller community. Measures can progress over a number of years with funding drawn down from the Fund as spending is incurred.
Some examples of measures approved for funding include:
€10.5 million for investment and actions aimed at improving participation in sports in disadvantage communities and for persons with disabilities.
€3.9 million for traveller initiatives and services across 5 departments.
€4 million for youth and community justice services aimed at countering the influence and impacts of crime on young people and in communities.
€2 million to support social enterprises to address social and economic disadvantage
€2.7 million for a youth and family initiatives to provide young people with the soft skills needed to improve employability.
This Action Plan builds on previous plans and ensures continued support for individuals and organisations right across the country. Funding under the 2024 Action Plan has decreased by 12.5% from 2023. Further reductions are required in the coming years to sustain the fund.
Background to the Dormant Accounts Fund
The Dormant Accounts Acts 2001-2012, together with the Unclaimed Life Assurance Policies Act 2003, 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 main purpose of the legislation is to reunite account or policy holders with their funds in credit institutions or insurance undertakings and in this regard, these bodies are required to take steps to identify and contact the owners of dormant accounts and unclaimed life assurance policies.
However, in order to utilise the unused funds the legislation also introduced a scheme for the disbursement of funds that are unlikely to be reclaimed from dormant accounts and unclaimed policies for the purposes of measures 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.
Summary Table of Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan
The following table provides a summary of measures and allocated funding under the Action Plan 2024 to each relevant Government Department. Full details are within the Action Plan itself.
Lead Department/Agency No. Description Max Allocation
Department of Rural & Community Development 1 Social Enterprise Measure 2,000,000
2 Senior Alerts Scheme 2,700,000
3 Targeted Social Inclusion 1,028,670
4 Libraries Promotion Disadvantaged Groups 150,000
5 Rethink Ireland 5,500,000
Department of Housing, Planning & Local Government 6 Housing First 3,000,000
7 Traveller Accommodation 620,000
Department of Justice 8 Drogheda Implementation Plan Year 3 207,987
9 Youth and Community Justice Services 4,159,734
10 Awareness campaigns on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence and Victims Rights 1,132,963
11 Community Organisations – Criminal Justice Sector 166,389
12 Community Organisations – YPP Project Expenditure 62,396
13 Measures to support paths to employment for people with past criminal convictions 915,141
14 Cherry Orchard Implementation Board (COIB) Year 2 166,389
15 Consent programme for the Further Education & Training sector 189,000
16 Community Based Health in Justice 385,909
17 Tovertafel projecting interactive light games by helping people in prison with dementia and autism 38,745
Department of Social Protection 18 Family Carer Measure – Supporting Family Carers including Young Carers, & Former Carers to access employment and/or training and education supports 2,500,000
19 Care Support for Vulnerable in Society 1,149,810
20 Oberstown Detention Campus Training Initiatives 417,500
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth 21 Traveller and/or Roma Community Initiatives 2,190,224
22 Youth and/or Family Initiatives 2,716,218
23 Babies and/or Young Children 90,000
24 Disability Awareness Initiative 171,120
25 SEN learners transitions Pilot 500,000
26 Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) 300,000
27 Young Social Innovators 180,000
28 Time To Count numeracy support for children 20,000
29 Glasnevin Trust Transportations 20,000
30 The Big Idea TY Programme 200,000
31 Munster Technical University GoalMine TY Programme 70,000
32 CDETB Migrant Integration 120,000
33 Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Co-ordinators 790,000
Department of Education 34 School Completion Programme for children seeking international protection 200,000
35 Project to address economic and educational disadvantage being experienced by a cohort of 2nd level students in 4 Non – DEIS Schools in *North East region 146,760
36 Update, Reproduce and launch School Avoidance Packs for all schools 14,000
37 Provision of interim transport support for children experiencing homelessness 20,000
38 Enhancing educational outcomes for children and Young People from the Traveller and Roma communities 180,000
39 Strengthening School Transitions and Attendance for Children and Young People 107,000
40 School enrichment project supporting children in school transition 50,000
41 Bespoke webinars for LGBTI+ 20,000
Department of Defence 42 Upgrading of the Civil Defence Fleet of Vehicles 400,000
43 Dormant Accounts funding to Veterans Associations 200,000
44 Sail Training Ireland 50,000
Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media 45 Community Sport and Physical Activity Hubs 1,842,500
46 National Sport Education and Training Hub 1,877,500
47 Sports Measures for Disadvantaged Communities to Support the National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) 6,780,000
Department of Further and Higher Education, Research and Innovation and Science 48 550,000
Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme for Care Leavers and Travelling community
49 Student Accommodation Bursary for Children in Care, Traveller and Roma Communities 600,000
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment 50 Balance for Better Business 201,250
Department of Environment, Climate and Communications 51 Go fishing 250,000
52 Targeted anglers with a disability or restricted mobility measure 250,000
TOTAL:
€47,597,205