Written answers

Tuesday, 24 February 2015

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Youth Services

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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368. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which his Department supports youth service programmes throughout the country, with a view to ensuring the availability to young persons of the maximum amount of positive supportive influences, in such areas such as health awareness and character building, in order to develop better self-esteem and re-assure those in need of support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8286/15]

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. 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 2015, funding of €49.9m has been provided to my Department for these schemes. There has been no reduction in the overall allocation for youth services in 2015 which was a key priority for youth organisations.

The Deputy may be aware that my Department is developing a National Youth Strategy. 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. It includes online surveys of young people and those working with young people and a number of major stakeholder consultation events. These events are for young people, the youth sector, NGOs working for and with young people, Education and Training Boards, Government departments, agencies, business and academia and other youth interests. The consultation provides key stakeholders with the opportunity to reflect on the emerging priorities, to discuss the actions that will be required to achieve the Strategy’s goals and their own roles in implementing the actions to secure improved outcomes for young people. The events 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 that target disadvantaged young people. The review makes recommendations for the future operation of youth funding schemes and their development in the years ahead to ensure effective, evidence based programmes designed to secure the optimal outcomes for young people at risk of disadvantage and their communities.

The National Youth Strategy will provide a framework for actions initiated by Government Departments, statutory and non-statutory organisations into a co-ordinated, society-wide plan for young people. Key priority areas will be underpinned by realistic and achievable actions tied to specific outcomes and measurable indicators. The consultation on the new National Youth Strategy concludes at the end of this month and I anticipate that the Strategy will be completed promptly thereafter.

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