Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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165. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he has designated or will designate a point of contact in his Department to liaise with youth educators on the various departmental schemes across Government, in place to assist children in education and fitness, and the various eligibility criteria and so on to help youth educators better navigate the system. [36319/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy may be aware that my Department supports and promotes non-formal education and developmental opportunities for young people through which they can enhance their personal and social skills and competencies. Particular regard is had to the youth work needs of young people between the ages of 10 and 21, and to those who are socially or economically disadvantaged.

My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The schemes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme under which funding is made available on an annual basis to 31 national and major regional youth organisations. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund, Rounds 1 and 2,Local Drugs Task Force Projects and certain other programmes including the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme. Funding is also made available for a network of Youth Information Centres throughout the country. The purpose of these Centres is to provide young people and those who work with them, with access to information on rights, opportunities, benefits, health, welfare and other matters.

The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people and involve approximately, 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. In 2014, funding of €49.78m has been provided to my Department for these schemes. Information about the funding schemes and the provision of youth services is available on my Department’s Website at .

A wide and diverse range of programmes and activities are organised by youth services and projects throughout the country, for and with young people. These include programmes to promote personal and social development, including activities to encourage healthy lifestyles, physical and mental well-being and initiatives to raise awareness of the risks associated with drugs and alcohol abuse and other issues that impact on young people’s lives and their engagement in their local communities.

Programmes and activities are organised and delivered at local level by professional youth workers in projects and well trained volunteers. This work is supported by a network of Youth Officers in the Education and Training Boards.

Youth Officers are a key resource in the co-ordination of youth service provision to my Department and a contact point in their respective localities. They have an important support role to the providers of youth services in the implementation of the National Quality Standards Framework – a Framework to ensure that the diverse range of programmes available for young people have a common approach to ensuring quality services that draw on best practice and are responsive to young people’s needs. The National Youth Organisations that support the local services are the key contacts for information about the range and choice of youth facilities and youth programmes available to young people and how to access them.

The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department is engaged in an on-going basis with the providers of youth services throughout the country and with the network of Youth Officers. My Department works collaboratively with those key contacts, including the various structured Fora, to ensure that they have access to the tools and best practice resources that are available to support their work with young people.

Details of the Websites of the major national youth organisations is being compiled and will be forwarded to the deputy shortly.