Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 490: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will give a commitment not to impose any further cuts on funding for the Donegal Youth Service in view of the fact that this service has had cuts imposed on it for three years in a row and is not in a position to absorb any further cuts without serious impact on youth services in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37255/11]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department provides funding to Donegal Youth Service under the Special Projects for Youth Scheme (SPY) in respect of the Daybreak and Youth Outreach Projects and for a Youth Information Centre in Letterkenny. I am aware of the valuable work carried out by Donegal Youth Services throughout the county.

In determining allocations to initiatives and schemes in 2011, as in previous years, my Department has made every effort to minimise the impact of the reduction in the Youth Affairs budget on front line youth services. In light of continuing budgetary constraints, the Youth Affairs budget in 2012 will again require careful management with a focus on prioritising existing youth service provision in so far as is possible.

Officials from my Department have met with representatives of the youth sector on an ongoing basis to ascertain the sector's views on how best to minimise the impact of budgetary constraints with a view to consolidating, in so far as is practicable, the progress made in previous years. My Department has also asked all youth organisations and services to revisit their level of expenditure to determine where cost savings can be achieved. Every effort will be made to notify the various youth work organisations and administering agencies of their 2012 allocations as early as possible.