Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

626. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the efforts being made to secure a youth or community worker for the west Wicklow region. [37763/15]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

627. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the youth funding provisions that have been established in the west Wicklow region in the past three years. [37764/15]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 626 and 627 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 by the voluntary youth sector. There are some 30 national youth organisations in receipt of funding under the Youth Service Grant Scheme, administered by my Department. Funding schemes also support the provision of youth services that target young people who are disadvantaged. 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. Youth workers are employed directly by the voluntary youth organisations, services and projects to deliver programmes that provide recreational, sporting, learning, volunteering, and personal and social development opportunities for young people. The recruitment, employment and deployment of staff including youth workers are matters for youth organisations and services themselves.

The overall allocation provided by my Department for the youth funding schemes in 2015 was €49.930 million. I am pleased to tell the Deputy that Budget 2016 has provided an additional €1.1 million in current funding to my Department for voluntary youth services. The increased funding will support, in the main, the targeted programmes for young people who are at risk of drugs, alcohol misuse, homelessness, early school leaving and unemployment. It will also assist the national youth organisations to better support the local voluntary youth services.

The funding for the local youth services is distributed, on behalf of my Department, by the Education and Training Boards throughout the country. Information in relation to the allocation of funding to the West Wicklow area is not readily available. However, details of the allocations provided to the relevant Education and Training Board to support the provision of youth services for Wicklow is set out in the following table:

2015

2014

2013