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Minister Joe O’Brien publishes the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2024

Minister Joe O’Brien publishes the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2024

  • €47.6 million in funding to help address disadvantage

Minister of State for Community Development, Integration and Charities Joe O’Brien TD, today (23th November 2023) 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 in Rush, Co Dublin.

BoxUp, 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 today, Minister O’Brien said:

“I am delighted to launch the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2024 which provides funding of €47.6 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 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”.

Minister Heather Humphreys T.D. noted:

“I welcome the 2024 Dormant Accounts Action Plan which will see €47.6 million in funding targeted at addressing disadvantage.

“Within my Department, it will allow continued funding of €5.5 million for Rethink Ireland and €2.7 million for the Senior Alerts Scheme. It will also see support for Social Enterprise €2 million and just over €1 million for Targeted Social Inclusion Measures. These interventions, and similar measures across Government, make a real difference for thousands of individuals right across the country.”

The Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan 2024 is available to view here.

ENDS

Notes:

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 Accounts 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:

1. the personal and social development of persons who are economically or socially disadvantaged;

2. the educational development of persons who are educationally disadvantaged or

3. 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/AgencyNo.DescriptionMax Allocation
Department of Rural & Community Development1Social Enterprise Measure2,000,000
2Senior Alerts Scheme2,700,000
3Targeted Social Inclusion1,028,670
4Libraries Promotion Disadvantaged Groups150,000
5Rethink Ireland5,500,000
Department of Housing, Planning & Local Government6Housing First3,000,000
7Traveller Accommodation620,000
Department of Justice8Drogheda Implementation Plan Year 3207,987
9Youth and Community Justice Services4,159,734
10Awareness campaigns on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence and Victims Rights1,132,963
11Community Organisations – Criminal Justice Sector166,389
12Community Organisations – YPP Project Expenditure62,396
13Measures to support paths to employment for people with past criminal convictions915,141
14Cherry Orchard Implementation Board (COIB) Year 2166,389
15Consent programme for the Further Education & Training sector189,000
16Community Based Health in Justice385,909
17Tovertafel projecting interactive light games by helping people in prison with dementia and autism38,745
Department of Social Protection18Family Carer Measure - Supporting Family Carers including Young Carers, & Former Carers to access employment and/or training and education supports2,500,000
19Care Support for Vulnerable in Society1,149,810
20Oberstown Detention Campus Training Initiatives417,500
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth21Traveller and/or Roma Community Initiatives2,190,224
22Youth and/or Family Initiatives2,716,218
23Babies and/or Young Children90,000
24Disability Awareness Initiative171,120
25SEN learners transitions Pilot500,000
26Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)300,000
27Young Social Innovators180,000
28Time To Count numeracy support for children20,000
29Glasnevin Trust Transportations20,000
30The Big Idea TY Programme200,000
31Munster Technical University GoalMine TY Programme70,000
32CDETB Migrant Integration120,000
33Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Co-ordinators790,000
Department of Education34School Completion Programme for children seeking international protection200,000
35Project to address economic and educational disadvantage being experienced by a cohort of 2nd level students in 4 Non - DEIS Schools in *North East region146,760
36Update, Reproduce and launch School Avoidance Packs for all schools14,000
37Provision of interim transport support for children experiencing homelessness20,000
38Enhancing educational outcomes for children and Young People from the Traveller and Roma communities180,000
39Strengthening School Transitions and Attendance for Children and Young People107,000
40School enrichment project supporting children in school transition50,000
41Bespoke webinars for LGBTI+20,000
Department of Defence42Upgrading of the Civil Defence Fleet of Vehicles400,000
43Dormant Accounts funding to Veterans Associations200,000
44Sail Training Ireland50,000
Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media45Community Sport and Physical Activity Hubs1,842,500
46National Sport Education and Training Hub1,877,500
47Sports 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 Science48Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme for Care Leavers and Travelling community550,000

49Student Accommodation Bursary for Children in Care, Traveller and Roma Communities600,000
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment50Balance for Better Business201,250
Department of Environment, Climate and Communications51Go fishing250,000
52Targeted anglers with a disability or restricted mobility measure250,000
TOTAL:€47,597,205