Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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233. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide details of grant aid available from his Department, possibly funded through the national lottery, to youth organisations, including musical organisations and bands, towards the establishment of tuition and running costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16652/15]

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. Some 30 national and major regional youth services receive funding under the Youth Services Grants Scheme. 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 Scheme. Funding is also provided to Léargas – The Exchange Bureau, Gaisce – the President’s Award, the National Youth Health Programme and the National Youth Arts Programme. 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. It includes support for the National Youth Arts Programme, amounting to €62,000 in 2015 and the National Association for Youth Drama, amounting to €97,053 in 2015. Funding under the schemes is not provided specifically for musical organisations and bands, but some youth services include music in the range of non-formal learning activities for young people.

In 2015, an allocation of €49.9m has been provided to my Department to support the provision of youth services and in recent years, including 2015, capital funding has been allocated by my Department for capital projects in youth services. My Department will not be administering a National Lottery scheme in 2015.