Written answers

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Youth Services Funding

Photo of Billy KelleherBilly Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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629. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to increase funding for Foróige, following reductions imposed on it over the past number of years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11700/16]

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services by the voluntary youth sector, 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. The voluntary youth sector involves approximately 1,400 paid staff, including youth workers and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country.

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that Budget 2016 provided an additional €1.1m in current youth funding to my Department bringing the total allocation for the youth services to €51m in 2016. This additional funding will be used for programmes that target disadvantaged young people and to assist national youth organisations in their work to support local voluntary youth services. In the main, it has allowed for a 2.5% increase in 2016 allocations.

In 2016, Foróige has been allocated €2.62m under the Youth Service Grant Scheme, an increase of €63,793 over its 2015 allocation. In relation to the youth projects that target young people that are disadvantaged, Foróige has received an allocation of €2.75m under the Special Projects for Youth scheme and €1.84munder the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund to support some 48 local youth projects. This represents an increase of €111,933 over the 2015 allocation in respect of these projects. In addition, Foróige’s Big Brother, Big Sister programme will be funded for €750,000 in 2016 under the Dormant Accounts Action Plan.

In December 2015, my Department provided Foróige with €55,000 in ‘once off’ funding to meet costs arising in the Foróige Youth Entrepreneurship Programme (NFTE) and in the Foróige Mayo Centre.

In 2016, €2.6m in capital funding has been made available to my Department to support small scale projects, including refurbishment, health and safety fit-outs and accessibility improvements in youth services.The closing date for applications was 20 May 2016. Foróige, along with any of its projects funded under the Special Projects for Youth scheme and the Young People’s Services and Facilities Fund were eligible to apply for the scheme. I hope to announce the details of the successful applicants in the coming weeks.

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