Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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566. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps he will take to ensure that appropriate funding is allocated in order to ensure that a youth café (details supplied) in County Longford is provided for the young persons of this significant geographical area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41599/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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In 2013, €1.5m in capital funding was made available to my Department for a Youth Café scheme. Pobal assisted my Department to administer this scheme. In all 95 applications with proposals were received and some 30 proposals for new youth cafés facilities around the country were approved for funding. These projects are now working with Pobal to develop their projects to the next stage of development. An application for funding was received in respect of the Attic Youth Café, however, the application was deemed ineligible for the scheme.

Representations on behalf of the project have been received in my Department. There have been meetings with the then Ministers for Children and Youth Affairs and officials in January and in May this year. Officials of my Department and Pobal met with the project representatives on 11 September, 2014. Officials are now undertaking a full examination of all aspects of this case, including information and documentation provided at the meeting. The outcome of this examination will be communicated to the project in the coming weeks. Pending the outcome of this examination my Department is not in a position to determine what steps, if any, may be available to the proposers to advance the project.

My Department does not have available to it, a new capital fund for the development of youth cafés in 2014. Youth cafés offer young people a safe, alcohol and drug free space, for recreation, non-formal learning and youth activities and they make an important contribution to facilities for young people at local level. My Department has supported the development of some 100 youth cafés over the period 2011 to 2013. The development of youth café facilities will continue to be advanced should further capital funding become available in future years.

Longford Youth Service receives funding on an annual basis from my Department under the Special Projects for Youth Scheme. In 2014, funding of €74,651 has been allocated to Longford Youth Services to support the provision of services to young people in the locality.