John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 403: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the status of the application for further funding for the Sligo youthreach centre; if the funding will be granted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7665/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Youthreach programme is designed for young persons aged between 15 and 20 years who have left school early with minimal or no qualifications. Youthreach is delivered in out-of-school settings, often in rented premises. Pay and non-pay grants, including rent supplements where necessary, are provided by my Department to VECs to meet the running costs of the programme.

On 18 January 2005, County Sligo Vocational Education Committee wrote to my Department seeking a supplementary grant of €204,000 to refurbish part of the Youthreach premises at Cleveragh, Sligo. However, these proposals are not included in the list of approved building works for 2005. Accordingly, a supplementary grant will not be provided by my Department in respect of the proposed works this year. They are not excluded from consideration in the future.