Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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108. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which his Department continues to offer support to Kildare Youth Services; the degree to which this matches requirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44501/14]

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.

In 2014, funding of €488,200 has been allocated for the projects and services under Kildare Youth Services. My Department provides funding to Kildare Youth Services under the Special Projects for Youth Scheme in respect of six local youth projects in Athy, Naas, Leixlip, Newbridge, the Curragh and Kildare town and a Youth Information Centre in Naas. In addition, Kildare Youth Hub, Kildare Town has received approval for a capital grant of €50,000 towards the cost of developing a new youth café facility. Officials of my Department have recently met Kildare Youth Services and have visited their office in Naas to hear about their work and their proposals for the provision of services in County Kildare

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 Kildare Youth Services, of their 2015 allocations in respect of their youth services as soon as possible.