Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 186: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if his attention has been drawn to the need to provide extra grant aid to fund community based and financially assisted local initiatives involving the provision of youth services such as community centres, drop in centres and indoor facilities with the objective of providing positive alternative outlets for teenagers here having particular regard to the growing number of negative influences and their impact on young people; if he will take a strategic decision to implement such a policy to a greater extent than has been the case heretofore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41852/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government and I continue to be acutely conscious of the specific needs of young people in the development of positive, healthy and pro-social attitudes and behaviours, as evidenced, inter alia, by the Department's provision of unprecedented sums in grants for a range of arts and sports facilities over the last number of years.

In the arts sector, the Arts Capital Programme has facilitated the allocation of more than €150 million in funding in recent years for the capital development of arts and culture infrastructure, much of which is community based and provides access to young people to participate in the arts.

In addition, in 2008, funding of more than €81 million was provided to the Arts Council, the principal agency through which State funding is channelled to the arts, to support artists and arts organisations nationwide. In this regard, over the period 2006-2008, the Arts Council has taken and continues to take initiatives to improve and extend opportunities in the arts for young people and children.

In the sports sector, in 2008, the Sports Capital Programme allocated more than €50 million to 685 sports and recreation projects nationwide, including young people's sporting organisations and/or those with a focus on the provision of sporting facilities for young people. More than €16 million of the 2008 funding was allocated to projects located in designated disadvantaged areas. Since 1998, the Sport Capital Programme has allocated more than €725 million to more than 7,400 separate projects.

Moreover, through the Irish Sports Council, considerable funding has been made available to the Local Sports Partnerships to promote participation in sport and physical activity, including by young people. In 2008, this funding amounts to more than €5.4 million, an increase on the approximately €4.1 million provided in 2007. In addition, in 2007, the Irish Sports Council administered more than €1.9 million from the Dormant Accounts Fund for sports for disadvantaged youths.

Having regard to all the foregoing, I remain satisfied that at both the policy and funding levels the specific developmental needs of our young people are being well catered for in the arts and sports sectors.