Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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105. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the degree to which his Department continues to liaise with various voluntary charitable and statutory agencies currently involved in the provision of youth services; if all requirements have been identified in so far as possible; his projections in this regard for the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44498/14]

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.

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 of their 2015 allocations in respect of their youth services as soon as possible.

Ongoing engagement and dialogue with the youth sector organisations and with young people themselves are priorities in the formulation of policies and provision of services to support young people’s development and learning.

The youth sector is engaged in the development, by my Department, of the new National Youth Strategy 2014- 2020. The strategy will be a universal strategy for all young people, aged 10 to 24 years, while having particular regard to those young people who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing the poorest outcomes and, therefore, in most need of support. In consultation with the National Youth York Advisory Committee, my Department has set up a National Youth Strategy Task Group to oversee the development of the new strategy. The Task Group, which meets regularly, is chaired by the Director of the National Youth Council of Ireland and comprises representatives from the youth sector, Government departments, Education and Training Boards, the Centre for Effective Services and the business community. It is anticipated that the new National Youth Strategy will be completed by my Department for the end of 2014.

I, and officials of my Department have met, and continue to meet regularly, with youth organisations and groups. I met with the representatives of some 30 national and major regional youth organisations over 2 days in September. My aim is to see how we can work together to bring about the best possible outcomes for young people, having regard to resources available to us and to ensure that the programmes and services being provided are relevant and responsive to young people’s needs.