Ireland to close 1923 contingency fund holding €1.2 million, unused for 22 years

Ireland's government plans to wind down a contingency fund created in 1923 that has held €1.2 million without being touched for 22 years. Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers will outline the closure plan to Cabinet. The fund was originally set up with £20,000 to cover expenses that fell outside normal budget allocations.

Dáil records show the money went to some unusual places. A £3 bounty was paid to parents of triplets. In 1930, the fund covered travel costs for the government representative attending the funeral of French general Marshal Ferdinand Foch, and advanced funds toward expenses incurred by the British vice-consul at Suez over the return of the remains of Miss Mary J Plunkett. In 1942, it paid Dublin Corporation £355 for fire brigade services rendered in Belfast following air raids.

Officials have recommended that other budget tools now handle contingency funding. The remaining balance would return to the exchequer. The fund's last use came 22 years ago.

Minister for Finance Simon Harris will also brief Cabinet on changes to how Home Building Finance Ireland, which operates under his department, targets loans. HBFI was established in 2019 to back home construction and has approved more than €4 billion since. Under the proposed rules, it would direct lending toward smaller builders to finance work on residentially zoned land before planning is secured. Harris is bringing the memo alongside Minister for Housing James Browne, and ministers will be told the aim is to support smaller builders and activate viable development land.

Harris will also update Cabinet on moving €1 billion into the Future Ireland Fund, set up to help the state meet costs tied to ageing and demographic shifts. By the end of 2027, almost €23 billion will have moved into that fund, with another €8 billion expected in the Infrastructure Climate and Nature Fund by the same date. Chambers will separately discuss speeding transfers of land between state agencies for critical infrastructure, an issue raised in last year's report on accelerating infrastructure. That report found such transfers often took longer than acquiring private land. State entities have been directed to prioritise land transfers for infrastructure and streamline internal approvals to cut transaction time.

Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton will tell Cabinet the Forum on Inclusive Education for Students With Special Needs has been established. Minister for Higher Education James Lawless will seek approval for Ireland's participation in the Bologna Process, a voluntary structure promoting intergovernmental cooperation at third level.