From:Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht

Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Jerry Buttimer TD, today (Friday, 17 July 2026) published the 2025 Dormant Accounts Fund Annual Report.

Money in the Dormant Accounts Fund is used to fund measures that address economic, social, or educational disadvantage and to support people with a disability. The 2025 Annual Report details that expenditure on Dormant Accounts measures over the year amounted to €43 million across 11 Government Departments.

For 2025 the Dormant Account Fund provided funding to 57 separate measures. These included programmes and projects to support children and youths; marginalised groups; prisoners; the unemployed; carers; victims of crime; homelessness; and measures to assist persons with a disability. Details of all measures are outlined in the Annual Report.

Two case studies of measures supported in 2025 are included in the report:Wicklow Traveller Play Area Developments:Delivery of two new playgrounds in a group housing scheme in Kilcoole and a halting site in Arklow, which now serves 14 family units across both sites and have quickly become an important feature of daily life for the children living there. AndThe Deaf Awareness, ISL Act and the Public Service project led by the Cork Deaf Association,developed to improve deaf awareness and strengthen access to public services for the D/deaf community. The project has trained 634 public service workers in Deaf Awareness and Irish Sign Language through 28 sessions. These case studies illustrate the positive impact on communities which Dormant Accounts Fund measures is having.

Publishing the Annual Report today, Minister Buttimer said:

I am delighted to publish the Dormant Accounts Fund Annual Report 2025 which shows that funding of over €43 million was provided in 2025 for a myriad of great causes to help address disadvantage across the country. There were 57 measures in the report that were implemented across Government that help to address a diverse range of issues such as; providing programmes to support children and youths; programmes and projects for people with disabilities; carers; LGBTQ+ communities; and marginalised groups such as the Traveller and Roma Community.

Dormant Accounts funding makes a real difference to individuals and communities right across the country. It is helping vulnerable individuals, supporting social inclusion, and is strengthening our communities. The funding is making such a difference to people’s lives and will have long lasting positive impacts across the communities it serves.

Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht Dara Calleary noted:

I welcome the publication of the 2025 Dormant Accounts Annual Report which outlines how over €43 million in funding targeted disadvantage last year. Within our own Department, just over €10 million was utilised for important measures such as the Senior Alerts Scheme, many projects under Rethink Ireland, Social Enterprise, Targeted Social Inclusion Measures and Library initiatives. These supports would not be possible without the Dormant Accounts Fund, which continues to support social inclusion and worthy causes in communities across our country.