Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 214: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when youth organisations will be informed of their actual allocations under the youth service grant scheme and the special projects for youth scheme 2009 which have been cut by 10%; if his attention has been drawn to the delays in providing this information every year and the need for youth organisations to cut front-line services to young people and their inability to make such decisions without this information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45450/08]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The 2009 budget allocation for youth services is €48.2m, a decrease of 8% on the 2008 figure. The reduced allocation in the youth budget will require much tighter budget management and prioritisation which may impact on pay and administration costs. Department officials have met with representatives of the youth sector to ascertain the sector's views on how best to minimise the impact of budgetary constraints next year with a view to consolidating, in so far as is practicable, the progress made in recent years. In trying to minimise the effects of these budgetary constraints, the determination of the 2009 allocations under the various schemes needs careful consideration.

I wish to assure the Deputy that very effort will be made to notify the various youth work organisations and administering agencies of their allocations at the earliest possible time in 2009.