Press release

Minister Humphreys announces €5 million in Dormant Accounts funding for carers and people with disabilities

From: Department of Social Protection
Published on: 16 September 2020
Last updated on: 11 April 2025

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys has announced the provision of €5 million to upskill and fund education and training opportunities for carers and people with disabilities.

The funding is part of the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2020 and is administered by the Department of Social Protection.

The application process for funding is now open, Minister Humphreys said, adding that the scheme is also designed to provide opportunities for young carers.

Minister Humphreys commented:

“Funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund has been used for a number of years by my department to support projects that promote training and supports for family carers. I am delighted to extend this funding in 2020 to support initiatives to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities.”

The Minister added:

“This year has been one of the most challenging for everyone and I know it has been particularly tough on carers and people with disabilities.

"With €5 million available, I would urge all organisations, national and local to consider what projects or initiatives they could undertake.”

Pobal will manage the process on behalf of the department. Pobal will also manage the delivery process including payment, contract management, performance monitoring, and beneficiary support and auditing.

Organisations who support or provide services to carers or people with a disability as a significant part of their main work may make an application by registering on www.pobal.ie, where detailed information and the application form are available. The programme will remain open for applications until Wednesday 30 September 2020.

Funding will be provided to the successful applicants from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2022. This will facilitate a set-up month in December 2020, for example: commencement of staff recruitment and 18 months project activity.

There are three measures under which an organisation can apply:

Measure 1: Access to employment, self-employment and training/education supports for family carers
Measure 2: Initiatives to support and develop young carers
Measure 3: Access to employment and self-employment for people with a disability

Carer's Measures

There are two measures for carers.

the first measure is to promote social inclusion and assist family carers in building and retaining contact with the labour market and training/educational opportunities
a portion of funding is being specifically ring-fenced for initiatives to support and develop young carers and generally acknowledge their caring role

People with Disabilities Measure

The purpose of this measure is to give people with disabilities the supports and training that they need to access work and stay working. The priority for this measure will be for people who are:

Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Deafened
Blind or have a Visual Impairment
People with Multiple Disabilities with a Visual Impairment

Applications will also be considered from organisations who support people with other disabilities who may benefit from this support to improve their employment outcomes.

The “Access to Employment and Self-Employment for People with a Disability” measure will focus on providing practical support to these people so they can avail of opportunities to start employment, create their own employment and stay supported while they are in work.

Minister Humphreys said:

“Funding will be available to provide practical in-work supports to help people with disabilities to access or retain work, flourish in a work environment and achieve personal goals such as promotion, work mobility or availing of other work opportunities and positive action measures.

“Consideration will also be given to applications for people with other disabilities who may benefit from this support to improve their employment opportunities or outcomes.”

National organisations may apply for a grant ranging from €75,000 to €200,000.

Local Organisations may apply for a grant that ranges from €20,000 up to €50,000.

For national organisations applying for both Measure 1 (Family Carers) and Measure 2 (Young Carers) the maximum grant paid is €200,000.

Further information

Pobal is a not-for-profit intermediary organisation that manages various funding programmes on behalf of the Irish Government and the EU.

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 (that is, 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.

In order to utilise the unused funds in dormant accounts and unclaimed policies to best use, 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 people who are economically or socially disadvantaged
the educational development of people who are educationally disadvantaged
people with a disability

The main income supports provided by the Department of Social Protection for carers or people with disabilities are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, the Carer’s Support Grant and Disability Allowance. The total estimated expenditure on these schemes for 2020 is in excess of €3 billion.