Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 548: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reasons organisations in the town of Drogheda, County Louth, are not permitted to apply for funding under the young persons services and facilities fund; her plans to reverse same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15083/11]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Young People's Facilities and Services Funding (YPFSF) of my Department was established in 1998 to assist in the development of preventative strategies/initiatives in a targeted manner through the development of youth facilities (including sport and recreational facilities) and services in disadvantaged areas where a significant drug problem exists or has the potential to develop.

To date, the focus of the YPFSF has been on the areas worst affected by drugs, that is the 14 Local Drugs Task Force Areas (12 in Dublin, Bray and Cork) and on Galway, Limerick and Waterford Cities and Carlow Town. Since 1998, nearly €180m has been allocated under the Fund for both capital and services projects. In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, in March 2008 it was announced that the Fund was being expanded to 4 additional towns – Arklow, Athlone, Dundalk and Wexford.

The intention to expand the Fund to further areas would bring with it a requirement for capital funding. Given the uncertainty surrounding the fiscal environment, coupled with the fact that capital funding for the YPFSF has dropped from €4.92 million in 2008 to an allocation of €0.8 million for 2011, any further plans for expansion are currently on hold. In this context, it is unlikely that there will be scope to expand the Fund to cover additional towns for the foreseeable future.