Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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350. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason for the more than €2 million cut in the sectoral programmes for children and young persons in his Estimate for 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40078/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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As part of the Estimates process for Budget 2015 I secured additional funding to help drive key priorities in the reform of children and young people`s services in 2015. I believe that Budget 2015 confirms the Government’s commitment to supporting children and families. The level of funding provided, and the range of services available, is by any measure, very significant.

There are two elements to my Department’s Vote which amounts to €1,010 million in 2015. The Vote is split to fund:

- Services and programmes provided by the Child and Family Agency (€635m), and

- Schemes and services funded by my Department (€375m) respectively.

My Department's Vote is split into three distinct programmes. Programme B - Sectoral Programmes for Children and Young People - aims to support the provision of both universal and targeted services for the care, development and well-being of children and young people. The 2015 estimates provision for this Programme in my Department`s Vote amounts to €319 million. This represents a reduction of €2 million on the 2014 allocation of €321 million. The reduction is largely attributable to the costs associated with the implementation of the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme which provides for an annual programme of early learning for children in the year before primary school. The decrease in funding, from €175 million in 2014 to €173 million in 2015, is reflective of demographic reductions in the number of children participating in the Pre-School Year and does not impact negatively on access to the programme.