Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 271: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the lottery funding that has been given to special projects for youths; the reason there has been a decrease in the lottery funding to SPY; the amount of lottery funding being allocated to SPY for 2011 and the way the rest of lottery funding is allocated [35967/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Children and Youth Services Development Unit (CYSDU) of my Office supports the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people including those from disadvantaged communities through grants in aid, which are part-funded by the National Lottery. The Special Projects for Youth Scheme (SPY) is one such initiative supported and funding of €19.5m has been allocated to this Scheme in 2010 through resources made available under Subhead G of Vote 41, which is part funded by the National Lottery. The overall funding provision does not differentiate between the Exchequer and National Lottery element of the allocation. Funding allocations for 2011 for the youth sector will be considered and finalised following on the budget.

Funding is also made available to national youth organisations under the Youth Service Grant Scheme, local youth clubs, youth information services, collaborative programmes on health and youth arts, Gaisce - the President's Award scheme and Léargas, the body established to administer international exchange programmes.

During the years 2004 to 2008, funding to the youth sector increased from €35.5 million to €52 million. The grant-in-aid budget, under Subhead G, decreased by 3% in 2010. In determining the 2010 allocations to initiatives and schemes, every effort has been made to minimise the impact of the reduction in the 2010 budget on front line youth work services and to treat each stakeholder in an equitable manner. The emphasis in 2010 has been on consolidating, in so far as practicable, the progress made in recent years.

Question No. 272 answered with Question No. 264.