Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

That is not what I have been requested to provide. To date I have been requested to provide the amounts I quoted. It was certainly not clear that the agencies would reconsider and my understanding was that they were withdrawing funding. I am prepared to hear if Atlantic Philanthropies and the One Foundation are still interested and willing to provide that kind of funding. We are still left with the difficulty I outlined and the current demands on it. This would effectively be a new programme for the Department because it has not had dedicated funding before and given the current budgetary climate, we would be taking money from somewhere else. Many local youth projects need the funding I am giving them, so I still have a difficulty even if the organisations were willing to contribute 50% of funding. The Deputy mentioned €600,000 and my figures are €1.42 million and €1.63 million. It is unlikely the funding will be found this year, to be straight, in view of the demands on the Department and the expenditure review currently being undertaken by the Government.

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