Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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617. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount of funding she is making available for youth funding this year; the amount being allocated to each body in comparison with the 2013 allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48945/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department supports the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities, by the voluntary youth sector. These schemes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme, the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund Rounds 1 and 2, Local Drug Task Force Projects and certain other provisions including the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme, Youth Information Centres, the European Youth in Action Programme (administered by Léargas – the Exchange Bureau) and Gaisce – the President’s Award.

In 2013, funding of some €53.498 million, including €1.75m in capital funding has been made available to support the provision of youth services and programmes to young people throughout the country. The funding supports the provision of services to some 400,000 young people involved in 477 projects and youth work initiatives with approximately 1,400 paid staff and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country.

The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department is working on the funding allocations for youth services in 2014 and in line with Government policy must have regard to the savings requirements identified in the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure (CRE). An amount of €1m has been provided in Budget 2014 to offset the impact of the CRE savings requirements on the youth services next year. Every effort is being made by my Department to finalise the 2014 allocations so that youth projects and national youth organisations will be advised of the 2014 allocations as soon as possible.