Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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560. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the guidelines in place regarding remuneration levels in youth organisations funded by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6784/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Funding of €50.530m including €750,000 for a new capital funding programme, has been provided to my Department in 2014 for the provision of youth services and programmes to young people throughout the country through a number of schemes. 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 and Youth Information Centres. This funding 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. There are some 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and over 40,000 volunteers involved in the provision of services and activities for young people.

Funding is made available on an annual basis to 31 national and major regional youth organisations under the Youth Service Grant Scheme. These organisations are voluntary, not-for-profit organisations or limited companies. The funding for the organisations is intended to ensure the promotion, development and growth of youth organisations with distinctive philosophies and programmes aimed at the social education of young people.

My Department does not prescribe the pay and conditions or terms of employment of the management or workers in the voluntary youth sector. These are matters for the boards of management/directors of the voluntary, not for profit or limited companies. Over the past few years, my Department, along with all government departments, has been required to deliver substantial savings on all funding programmes in line with the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure. Circulars and notifications issued to national youth organisations and to organisations that administer funding on behalf of my Department, have drawn attention to the on-going requirement to identify the scope for efficiencies in the delivery of services to young people. National and local organisations and funding administration bodies have been told by my Department that they should be cognisant of any large variances in salary levels, conditions and administrative costs across the projects and services. They have been advised that consideration should be given to the full range of options to reduce pay and pension costs and to measures to increase productivity including extra working hours and reductions in annual leave. They have been asked to consider all potential cost saving measures so that the front line youth services, particularly those for the most vulnerable young people are protected, as far as is possible, from the impact of any necessary reductions in funding.

During the course of the next few weeks officials of my Department will meet the national youth organisations that are funded under the Youth Services Grant Scheme. The purpose of the meetings is to share knowledge and information about developments to date and to explore further how best to manage efficiently the budgets available for 2014. All options to secure further efficiencies will be discussed, including payroll costs and potential for productivity measures in the interests of ensuring the continued provision of high quality services for young people.