Written answers

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Youth Services Funding

Photo of Eamon GilmoreEamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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330. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans for funding to Foróige for the coming year in view of the valuable and important work it carries out throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43945/14]

Photo of James ReillyJames 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 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 and Youth Information Centres. 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.

In 2014, funding of €7,109,547 has been allocated to Foróige to support the provision of services for young people including the local services provided by Foróige for young people who are at risk of disadvantage.

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that Budget 2015 has confirmed that funding of €49.78m will again be provided to my Department in 2015 to support the provision of youth services. There will be no reduction in the overall allocation for youth services in 2015 which was a key priority for youth organisations. My Department has commenced work on the detailed allocations for youth services and projects in 2015. Every effort will be made to notify youth organisations and projects, including Foróige, of their 2015 allocations in respect of their youth services as soon as possible.

I am advised that the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2014 contains provision for an annual allocation of €775,000 to Foróige to continue to operate its Big Brother Big Sister programme in 2015 and 2016. My Department is working closely with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to reach agreement for the provision of the additional resources for the programme, in its Vote, in the context of the finalisation of the 2015 Revised Estimates for Public Services. My Department will advise Foróige about the support arrangements for the programme in due course.

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