Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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65. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to increase funding to Foróige for 2015 in view of the valuable and important work it carries out throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39509/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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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 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.

My Department provides funding to Foróige under the following schemes.

1. Youth Service Grant Scheme: This funding is to ensure the emergence, promotion, growth and development of youth organisations with distinctive philosophies and programmes aimed at the social education of young people.

2. Special Projects for Youth Scheme: this supports projects which target young people who are disadvantaged including young Travellers and young people who are out of school and at risk of drugs, substance abuse or homelessness.

3. Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund. Under this scheme projects are located in disadvantaged areas where a significant drug problem exists or has the potential to develop. The objective is to attract “at risk” young people into facilities and activities and divert them away from the dangers of substance abuse.

In 2014 a total funding of over €7m has been allocated to Foróige under these schemes and the breakdown is shown below: