Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

365. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide his priorities for the development of youth support services in all areas throughout the country targeting children and teenagers with the objective of providing a suite of support services in accordance with requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2865/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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. In 2015, funding of €49.9m has been provided to my Department for these schemes.

My Department has prioritised the development of a National Youth Strategy for completion this year. The National Youth Strategy will focus on the youth-related policy commitments outlined in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People. It will be a universal strategy for all young people aged 10 to 24. It will have a particular focus on those who are most disadvantaged or at risk and who have the poorest outcomes and therefore in most need of support.

A National Youth Strategy Task Group, convened by my Department, is overseeing the development of the new Strategy. This Task Group comprises statutory youth interests and voluntary agencies and organisations working with young people.

I am keen that all stakeholders have a role to play in the development of the new National Youth Strategy and a comprehensive consultation process is underway at present. This consultation process includes online surveys of young people and those working with young people and a number of stakeholder events for all youth interests planned for later this month. The events will include consultation on the priorities for the new Strategy and the findings of the recently completed Value for Money and Policy Review of Youth Programmes. The Review makes recommendations for the future operation of youth funding schemes and their development in the years ahead to ensure effective, value for money services that will be evidence based and improve outcomes for young people.

The consultation will run into February 2015 and I anticipate that the Strategy will be completed promptly thereafter.