Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the application process will begin and be published for the €1.75 million in funding available for youth capital projects in 2013 such as youth cafe and play and recreation initiatives that were previously announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6998/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The youth affairs unit of my Department supports the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities, by the voluntary youth sector. As part of this, my Department and I have actively supported the nationwide development of youth cafe facilities, given the considerable benefits they offer for young people to meet in safe drug and alcohol free spaces.

In 2012 I provided €500,000 in capital funding for eight youth projects around the country to support the development of youth cafés for young people. The projects selected are eight new youth cafés which had originally applied under the original youth café scheme in 2010. This latest round of funding builds on the €1.7 million previously provided, from which a total of 75 projects have received funding.

For 2013 I am providing a further €1.5 million in capital funding for youth cafés and youth projects. Criteria for these funding schemes are being developed and my Department will be announcing details in the near future. They are a great extra resource. I am further providing capital funding of €250,000 for play and recreational initiatives during 2013. In February 2012 I launched the first ever national local authority play and recreation network, which brings together the recreation officers from local authorities around the country. More local authorities are getting involved in the project and some excellent work is being done by the network. To date, it has taken initiatives to promote and expand national play day and national recreation week, introduced improved co-ordination between local authorities and training and information sharing to develop staff expertise. I met representatives of the network last week to discuss their future work programme. I urge Deputies to encourage their local authorities to take part in the network.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

I have been delighted to officially open many of the new youth cafés supported by my Department and hope the additional funding provided in 2012 and 2013 will allow for the opening of many more youth cafés in communities across the country.

The development of play and recreation policy is an equally important objective for my Department because of the positive social and developmental impact of play in the lives of children and young people and its significance in promoting active healthy lifestyles. National play and recreation policies are implemented by local authorities. Many have developed world class recreational facilities and integrated play plans benefiting thousands of children and their families. My Department's role is to encourage innovation and a joined-up approach to the development and use of the extensive range of facilities available throughout the country.

A record 25 local authorities participated in National Play Day on 4 July 2012. National Recreation Week 2012 took place at the end of October. In excess of €70,000 was provided by my Department for local authorities in 2012 to help with these initiatives.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

When does the Minister expect the roll-out of the signalled new youth cafés to commence? Will she share with the House the locations of these new initiatives? How many youth cafés will be in situ with the advent of the additional eight indicated? Regarding the area-based approach to the child poverty initiative that she announced as part of the two new strands to deal with child deprivation and marginalisation, she has supported projects through the Prevention and Early Intervention Programme for Children in Tallaght, Ballymun and Darndale. She indicated recently that she expected to increase the number from three to six. Has she been able to conclude that further section? If not, when will she be in a position to do so? If she has, will she share with us where the new projects will get under way?

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It is fitting that the Minister referred to the issues of exclusion and marginalisation. Given the success of youth cafés in bringing young people in from the margins, will she consider ring-fencing part of the funding for young people with intellectual and physical disabilities on a regional, county or city basis? Often people with intellectual disabilities find that youth cafés and other youth networks can unintentionally exclude them, as most of those attending would not have an intellectual disability or learning difficulty. Will she consider ring-fencing moneys on a pilot basis for facilities for young people with specific intellectual or physical disabilities?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

On Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin's question about the €2.5 million provided in the budget for early intervention programmes, a lot of the preliminary work has been done in the rolling out of these projects and a project team will meet next Friday to take it further. There has been some engagement with philanthropic organisations because we have been looking for co-funding. I hope the scheme will develop next year with more funding provided.

It is important clear and transparent criteria are put in place for the selection of sites. This is part of what the interdepartmental group will examine and I will inform the House as the work develops. I certainly want to have the projects in place by the end of the 2013, with the sites selected by then. We will also look at how we can mainstream some of what has been learned from the three Prevention and Early Intervention Programme for Children projects under way. The research findings are being received on their successes and there are clear indications as to how we should move forward nationwide, not just in six areas. I hope we will be able to develop projects in three new areas and, equally, roll out initiatives which will have a national impact from what we have learned from the projects in Darndale, Tallaght and Ballymun which received considerable funding. The areas have not yet been selected, but transparent criteria will be used in their selection based on the poverty index and other indices.

Ring-fencing funding for more specialist youth cafés can certainly be considered and I would be happy to consider a specific request for such a youth café. The approach to date has been to support the integration of children with disabilities in youth cafés. That is preferable, but if a case can be made for a particular facility that meets the needs of a particular group of young people with either physical or intellectual disabilities, it can be considered.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

What about the new locations?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

They will be available in the rest of my reply.