Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 182: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the financial supports available from her Department in terms of both start-up costs and running costs for community groups who wish to establish youth cafes in their community. [34875/07]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The launch of the National Recreation Policy in September this year highlighted the Government's commitment to the development of youth cafés.

As the Deputy will be aware there are already a number of youth cafés in operation around the country. Funding for these existing initiatives is provided through local City/County Council and Health Service Executive. In addition, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs operate a number of relevant funding programmes aimed at supporting community development, locally based community and voluntary groups as well as programmes aimed specifically at supporting projects for disadvantaged youth.

At this stage, my focus is to bring better coherence to the approach taken to date, retaining the strong inter-agency element and identifying an appropriate model(s) for youth cafés for future developments. Since September my office has undertaken a small survey of some of the existing cafés looking at mission/objectives, management and organisation, service levels and the role of young people. I have recently requested the National Children's Advisory Council's advice on the development of a youth café model and research work has been commissioned by the Council in this regard. This work will ensure that funding is targeted and co-ordinated most effectively on a model or models of youth cafés which meet the needs identified by young people themselves. Discussions are underway with my Cabinet colleagues regarding a youth café programme and appropriate funding mechanisms. I am considering which agency could best lead on the programme and how to ensure any funding which might be made available augments, without displacing, the existing inter-agency resources.