Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 185: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if consideration will be given to an application for funding by an organisation (details supplied) for the appointment of a youth officer in 2009. [27678/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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An application on behalf of the Fethard Area Youth Project was received in 2008 to be considered for funding under the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, which then operated under the Department of Education and Science, but due to the large number of applications received and the limited funding available it was not possible to provide the funding requested.

The 2009 budget allocation for youth work services is over €48 million, a decrease of some 8% on the 2008 figure. In light of budgetary constraints it is intended that the 2009 Youth Affairs budget will continue to focus on supporting existing programmes and services for young people including those with fewer opportunities. In that context, the Youth Affairs Unit of my Department is not in a position to consider any new applications for admission to this scheme in the current year.