Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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116. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the process involved for youth work staff who are funded by his Department to be re-assigned to other duties in the head office of the City of Dublin Youth Services Board. [20903/15]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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117. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of front-line youth work staff, who are funded by his Department and who were previously allocated to work directly with young persons through Stoneybatter Youth Service, who have now been re-assigned to other geographical areas and to administrative and support duties in the head office of the City of Dublin Youth Services Board. [20904/15]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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118. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if re-assigning youth work staff who work directly with young persons, due to reductions in funding for front-line youth workers, to other duties such as administration roles, is an appropriate use of scarce resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20905/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 to 118, inclusive, together.

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. It is estimated that the voluntary youth services throughout the country 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, current funding of €49.93m has been provided to my Department for these schemes.

The funding for local youth projects and services is administered in the main by Education and Training Boards. In Dublin City, City of Dublin Youth Service Board under City of Dublin Education and Training Board undertakes this role. Some eighty local projects and services are in receipt of funding under the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund and Local Drugs Task Force Projects and €10m in 2015 has been allocated to City of Dublin Youth Service Board for distribution to the projects.

An allocation of €407,267 in 2015 has been made by my Department to the Stoneybatter Youth Service, unchanged from 2014.

The Stoneybatter Youth Service provides youth services to young people aged 10 to 21 years in the Stoneybatter area, particularly targeting those affected by a range of economic and social factors.

My Department works closely with City of Dublin Youth Service Board and Education and Training Boards throughout the country in the administration of youth services. In determining the annual allocations to youth programmes, in the challenging budgetary situation that has applied in recent years, my Department has sought to ensure that, as far as possible, the focus was maintained on the frontline youth services, particularly those for vulnerable young people.

With regard to the details requested by the Deputy about the employment arrangements and assignment of youth work staff employed in the Stoneybatter Youth Service by City of Dublin Education and Training Board, officials of my Department are making enquiries in the matter and I will revert to the Deputy as soon as the reply is received.