Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 318: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the funding provided to an organisation (details supplied) in County Galway to continue the provision to allow approximately 200 young mothers to remain in education in order that they can contribute to society as mothers and workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21323/08]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department received an application on behalf of the project/organisation in question to be considered for funding in 2008 under the Special Projects for Youth Scheme. In assessing applications for funding, consideration is given to Department supported interventions already in place in the areas concerned so as to avoid duplication of effort and resource. My Department currently supports the educational element of eight Teenage Parenting Support Projects under the Health Services Executive's Teenage Parenting Support Initiative in Galway, Limerick, Louth, Coolock, Donegal, Carlow, Cork and Dublin and it would be inappropriate to support a second initiative in an area which provides a similar service to the same target group.

Funding has been committed in 2008 to the 8 Teenage Parenting Support projects as a specific gender element of the School Completion Programme under DEIS in preventing early school leaving among teenage mothers. Links have been established between local School Completion projects in these areas, assisted by the SCP National Co-ordination Team and the Teenage Parenting Support Initiative Coordinators. The aim of these projects is to enable young women who are pregnant and young mothers to stay in second level education and to progress on to third level education or training. The Project does this by providing individual support, information and grinds where necessary. Young people participating in Teen Parenting Support Programmes are targeted in-school, out-of-school and in higher or further education, giving them the opportunity to reach their full potential through continued participation in education and training. This will improve their life opportunities and reduce the likelihood of the young family experiencing poverty and social exclusion and being long-term dependants on State support. The process of determining my Department's financial allocations to the Youth Work Sector for 2008 is still under way. I expect that this process will be completed shortly and all Administering Agencies, in this instance Youth Work Ireland will then be notified of the outcome as appropriate.