Ms Olive McGovern:

I will answer that question in two parts. The total funding for youth sector provision in 2017, to answer Deputy Rabbitte's question partially also, is €57.4 million. The €600,000 I referred to is just the National Youth Council's budget.

In terms of the reach, there are approximately 400 targeted projects in the country along with 1,700 youth clubs. Broadly, that is the reach. We recently completed a map of them and they are in every part of the country but it is important to understand that participation in the youth sector is a voluntary piece so there is no mandatory aspect of that for young people.

In terms of the curriculum, I do not believe it is at huge variance to what is in the education sector curriculum. This year the curriculum content has been revised and updated built on the latest evidence base, which is a constantly evolving evidence base. There are eight components to the curriculum that are part of the resource available to those who are working in either a professional or a voluntary capacity in any of those 400 projects or the 1,600 clubs.

In terms of participation in the training, and I got some data in preparation for today from my colleagues, in 2017 alone, 68 people participated in the policy training and 33 organisations. We have 150 or 180 legal entities involved in this so in this year alone the figures are 68 and 33. I reviewed last year's data and the figure is in the mid-70s for both training programmes. They have an additional training programme this year in regard to pornography that they are offering of which there is some uptake. Individual organisations send their staff or their volunteers through to the training programmes but the training programmes have been in place for a number of years. I just got the data on the last two years for this input this evening but I could get the data for previous years if members wish. I am confident in saying that there is provision across the country but the difference is that it is a voluntary provision for young people.

I will add to that so the Deputy has the full information. In this year, for the first time, the Department has included funding for SpunOut.ie, which is an online youth information resource. Through our youth information centre grant fund and our youth services grant fund, in a combination of both funds, SpunOut.iewill receive €200,000 per annum for this year and next year in an effort to try to respond to the fact that many young people are now getting their information online. That is a development that has taken place this year for us.