Dáil debates

Tuesday, 17 December 2013

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions

Youth Services Funding

2:50 pm

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Government’s Action Plan for Job claims there is considerable potential for youth work services to contribute to the wider Government approach to addressing youth unemployment. Despite this, we witness a further cut of €2 million in the 2014 youth services budget, on top of 5% cuts in 2013 and 2012. Recently I had the pleasure of visiting Cabra For Youth and witnessing at first-hand the fantastic good work it was carrying out with a shoestring. One third of its funding comes from the Irish Youth Justice Service and the other two thirds from the Department. The Irish Youth Justice Service recognises these groups require a basic level of funding, below which it will not go. It has not made one cut in funding in the past two years. Does the Minister agree that there is a basic level of funding that community and youth groups need to maintain the services they provide? Will she confirm that she will not go below that threshold? Youth groups are at the pin of their collar and do not know what cuts are down the track.

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