Minister Éamon Ó Cuív and Minister Pat Carey launch the Dormant Accounts Board booklet "Empowering Communites by Tackling Disadvantage"
08.02.2008
Minister of State Pat Carey, T.D. and Minister Éamon Ó Cuív, T.D. Launch Booklet Highlighting the
Recipients of Dormant Accounts Funding
- Booklet highlights Round One funding from 2003 to 2005
- Over €63million in Dormant Accounts Funding allocated in Round One
- Over 215,000 members of the target groups have benefited from the funding
- Target groups include those affected by economic, social, educational disadvantage, and persons with a disability
Issued Wednesday 23rd January, 2008. Minister of State Pat Carey, T.D. and Minister Éamon Ó Cuív, T.D. joined Michael Morley, Chairman of the Dormant Accounts Board, and some of the recipients of Dormant Accounts Funding, at a reception in the Davenport Hotel, Dublin, today for the launch of ‘Empowering Communities by Tackling Disadvantage’, a booklet highlighting the distribution of the first round of Dormant Accounts Funding in the years 2003 and 2005. Since the inception of the Fund, over €187m has been approved for allocation from the Fund. Over €63m of this was allocated in Round One funding, to recipients in the various categories identified by the Dormant Accounts legislation, namely those affected by economic and social disadvantage; those affected by educational disadvantage; and persons with a disability. A recent report by Goodbody Economic Consultants, commissioned by the Dormant Accounts Board, states that, to date, a total of 160,000 members of the target groups have benefited directly from the Fund, with a further 55,000 benefiting indirectly.
Since the fund was launched in November 2003, over 4,800 projects have been awarded funding. This booklet focuses on projects funded under Round One from 2003 to 2005, during which time 521 projects were approved by the Dormant Accounts fund Disbursement Board, with the assistance of Pobal. Project approval is now the responsibility of Government and is coordinated by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, with the current Dormant Accounts Board performing its role as independent advisor and critical appraiser in relation to Government decisions about dormant accounts funding. Dormant Accounts Funding will continue to be disbursed to qualifying groups and individuals on an ongoing basis.
A key feature of the Dormant Accounts Funding is that disbursements from the Fund are for purposes that are additional to and not a substitute for mainstream government funding. This has meant that many innovative projects have been supported under the Fund that would not otherwise have happened. Some of these projects have been so successful that they have sustained mainstream Government funding.
Equally important is the need to ensure that projects have an impact in their relevant areas of need. The publication ‘Empowering Communities and Tackling Disadvantage’ is a demonstration of the effective use of this hitherto untapped resource. As well as providing a comprehensive list of the 521 projects that received Round One funding, the booklet highlights a diverse list of projects from the Cherry Orchard Pony Club in West Dublin, to the Caring Peninsula Project in South West Cork, to funding for SAOL, an organisation that provides a response to cocaine addiction and suicide prevention, and the building of the Bush Community Leisure Facility on the Cooley Peninsula, representing a small sample of the myriad of organisations that have benefited from the Dormant Accounts Fund.
Speaking at the launch, Pat Carey, Minister of State with special responsibility for Drug Strategy and Community Affairs said “The examples illustrated in the Board’s publication, showcase what can be achieved when local endeavour is supported by targeted financial backing. The booklet brings to life the real value of the Dormant Accounts Fund in terms of its potential to impact positively for the common good”
Speaking at the launch, Éamon Ó Cuív, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs,T.D. highlighted the continuing role of the Dormant Accounts Fund as a source of funding for good causes - “I expect to be in a position in the coming weeks to announce details of a further major investment in RAPID areas throughout the country, again through support from the Dormant Accounts Fund”
Michael Morley, Chairman, Dormant Accounts Board, said “The Dormant Accounts Fund was an unique and enlightened decision on the part of the Irish Government, ensuring that society as a whole would benefit from funds that were otherwise lying idle in dormant accounts. The legislation specified that the unclaimed monies would be distributed to projects and programmes designed to alleviate poverty and social deprivation. It’s another example of Ireland in the role of pioneer, an example that is now being followed by the UK.”
- Ends -
For further information contact:
Nuala Buttner
Q4 Public Relations
Tel: 01 475 1444 / 085 1744275
Seolann an tAire Stáit Pat Carey T.D. agus an tAire Éamon Ó Cuív T.D.
Leabhrán a Liostaíonn
an Dream a bhain tairbhe as Ciste na gCuntas Díomhaoin
- Cuireann an leabhrán béim ar Bhabhta a hAon den mhaoiniú ó 2003 go 2005
- Dáileadh os cionn €63 milliún as Ciste na gCuntas Díomhaoin i mBabhta a hAon
- Tá leas bainte ag os cionn 215,000 ball de na spriocghrúpaí as an maoiniú
- I measc na spriocghrúpaí sin tá siad siúd atá faoi mhíbhuntáiste eacnamaíoch, sóisialta agus oideachasúil agus daoine le míchumas
Eisithe ar an gCéadaoin, 23 Eanáir, 2008.
Tháinig an tAire Stáit Pat Carey T.D., an tAire Éamon Ó Cuív T.D., Michael Morley, Cathaoirleach Bhord na gCuntas Díomhaoin, agus roinnt den dream a bhain leas as Ciste na gCuntas Díomhaoin, le chéile ag fáiltiú in Óstán Davenport i mBaile Átha Cliath inniu i gcomhair seoladh an leabhráin ‘Empowering Communities by Tackling Disadvantage’. Déanann an leabhrán seo cur síos ar dháileadh an chéad bhabhta maoinithe as Ciste na gCuntas Díomhaoin sna blianta 2003 go 2005. Ó bunaíodh an Ciste, tá os cionn €187m ceadaithe as an gCiste.
Dáileadh os cionn €63m de seo i mBabhta a hAon ar dhreamanna éagsúla sna hearnálacha a aithnítear faoi reachtaíocht na gCuntas Díomhaoin – is é sin le rá, iad siúd atá faoi mhíbhuntáiste eacnamaíoch agus sóisialta; iad siúd atá faoi mhíbhuntáiste oideachasúil; agus daoine le míchumas.
Tá sé ráite i dtuarascáil a d’eisigh Goodbody Economic Consultants le déanaí - tuarascáil a choimisiúnaigh Bord na gCuntas Díomhaoin – gur bhain 160,000 ball de na spriocghrúpaí leas díreach as an gCiste go dtí seo agus gur bhain 55,000 ball eile leas indíreach as.
Ó seoladh an Ciste i mí na Samhna 2003, bronnadh maoiniú ar os cionn 4,800 tionscadal.
Díríonn an leabhrán seo ar thionscadail a maoiníodh faoi Bhabhta a hAon ó 2003 go 2005. Cheadaigh Bord Eisíocaíochtaí Chiste na gCuntas Díomhaoin, le tacaíocht ó Pobal, maoiniú do 521 tionscadal sa tréimhse sin.
Tá an fhreagracht maidir le ceadú tionscadal ar an Rialtas anois agus tá sé seo á chomhordú ag an Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta. Tá Bord reatha na gCuntas Díomhaoin ag feidhmiú mar chomhairleoir neamhspleách agus mar bhreathmheastóir breithiúnach i leith cinntí an Rialtais maidir le maoiniú as Ciste na gCuntas Díomhaoin.
Leanfar le maoiniú as Ciste na gCuntas Díomhaoin a íoc le grúpaí agus le daoine incháilithe ar bhonn leanúnach.
Ceann de phríomhghnéithe Chiste na gCuntas Díomhaoin is ea gur ar mhaithe le cuspóirí atá sa bhreis ar, agus ní mar ionadaí ar, chistí príomhshrutha an Rialtais atá na heisíocaíochtaí as Ciste na gCuntas Díomhaoin.
Chiallaigh sé seo gur tugadh tacaíocht do go leor tionscadal nuálaíoch faoin gCiste – tionscadail nach mbeadh ann anois murach an Ciste.
D’éirigh chomh maith sin le cuid de na tionscadal seo go bhfuil siad á maoiniú anois ó chistí príomhshrutha an Rialtais.
Tá sé chomh tábhachtach céanna a chinntiú go mbíonn tionchar ag tionscadail ina gcuid réimsí riachtanacha iomchuí.
Is léiriú é an foilseachán ‘Empowering Communities by Tackling Disadvantage’ ar úsáid éifeachtach na hacmhainne seo nach raibh á húsáid roimhe seo.
Chomh maith le liosta cuimsitheach a chur ar fáil den 521 tionscadal a fuair maoiniú faoi Bhabhta a hAon, cuireann an leabhrán béim ar réimse éagsúil tionscadal ón Cherry Orchard Pony Club in Iarthar Bhaile Átha Cliath go dtí an Caring Peninsula Project in Iardheisceart Chorcaí, chomh maith leis an maoiniú a cuireadh ar fáil do SAOL – eagraíocht a théann i ngleic le handúil chóicín agus cosaint i gcoinne féinmharú – agus tógáil an Bush Community Leisure Facility ar Leathinis Chuaille. Is sampla beag atá anseo den iliomad tionscadal a bhain leas as Ciste na gCuntas Díomhaoin.
Ag labhairt dó ag an seoladh dúirt Pat Carey T.D., an tAire Stáit sa Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta atá freagrach as Gnóthaí Pobail agus an Straitéis Náisiúnta Drugaí: “Léiríonn na samplaí atá le feiceáil i bhfoilseachán an Bhoird an méid is féidir a bhaint amach nuair a thugtar tacaíocht spriocdhírithe airgid d’iarrachtaí áitiúla.
Taispeánann an leabhrán fíorluach Chiste na gCuntas Díomhaoin ó thaobh an féidearthacht atá ann tionchar dearfach bheith aige ar leas an phobail i gcoitinne.”
Ag labhairt dó ag an seoladh, chuir Éamon Ó Cuív T.D., an tAire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta, béim ar ról leanúnach Chiste na gCuntas Díomhaoin mar fhoinse maoinithe i gcomhair spriocanna maithe – “Tá súil agam bheith in ann sonraí a fhógairt sna seachtainí amach romhainn maidir le mór-infheistíocht bhreise i gceantair RAPID ar fud na tíre, le tacaíocht arís ó Chiste na gCuntas Díomhaoin.”
Dúirt Michael Morley, Cathaoirleach Bhord na gCuntas Díomhain: “Ba chinneadh uathúil, thuisceanach de chuid an Rialtais a bhí i gCiste na gCuntas Díomhaoin chun a chinntiú go mbainfeadh an tsochaí ar fad leas as maoiniú a bhí i gcuntais díomhaoin agus a bhí gan úsáid.
Shonraigh an reachtaíocht go ndáilfí airgead nár éilíodh ar thionscadail agus ar chláir a bhí dírithe ar an mbochtaineacht agus ar an ndíothacht shóisialta a mhaolú.
Is sampla eile é seo ina bhfuil Éire ina ceannródaí – sampla atá anois in úsáid sa Ríocht Aontaithe.”
CRÍOCH
Chun tuilleadh eolais a fháil, déan teagmháil le
Nuala Buttner
Q4 Public Relations
Teil: 01 475 1444 / 085 1744275
