Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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90. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans for introducing new youth facilities in Dublin in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44712/14]

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.

Funding provided by my Department to support youth projects in the Dublin City area is administered, on behalf of my Department, by the City of Dublin Youth Services Board/City of Dublin ETB, County Dublin and Dun Laoghaire ETB, Dublin City Council, Dun Laoghaire and Rathdown County Councils and a number of other administering bodies. Over €20m has been provided for local youth services in the Dublin area in 2014. In addition, under the 2013 Youth Café Scheme funding was approved for 4 new youth cafés in Dun Laoghaire, Tallaght, Castleknock and the Peter McVery Trust, Dublin 7 to the value of €210,000. These projects are currently working with Pobal to develop their projects to the next stage.

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. The focus in 2015 will again be on maintaining frontline services for young people, particularly those for the most vulnerable young people.