Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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891. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she expects to continue to provide financial support to youth organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24046/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I am committed to the principle of fairness, and would very much wish to allocate additional resources next year to the youth sector as the economy recovers. Any additional amount available will depend on the Budgetary process in 2017. I will be closely involved in the decisions to be taken by Government in this regard.

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. 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.

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 was a 2.5% increase over 2015. It 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.

Last month I announced details of youth work projects that are to receive funding under the new €600,000 Youth Employment Initiative. This initiative and other supports for vulnerable young people are priorities in my plans for the further development of youth work services in line with the Programme for Government.

It will target those young people aged 15- 24 yrs who are most at risk of unemployment and who are not in education, employment or training. It will be provided to voluntary youth services to support the provision of innovative programmes for their young people to enhance their employability skills and competencies.

All of my decisions on funding for youth services will be informed by the National Youth Strategy 2015-2020.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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892. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which her Department continues to support Kildare Youth Services throughout County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24047/16]

Katherine 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 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 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 2016, funding of €51m has been provided to my Department for these schemes. In addition €2.6m in capital funding, also provided in Budget 2016, will be used to support small scale projects, including refurbishment, health and safety fit-outs and accessibility improvements in local youth services.

In 2016, an amount of €500,405 has been allocated for the projects and services under Kildare Youth Services, which operates under Youth Work Ireland. This is an increase of more than €12,000 on the 2015 allocation. My Department provides funding to Kildare Youth Services under the Special Projects for Youth Scheme in respect of six local youth projects in Athy, Naas, Leixlip, Newbridge, the Curragh and Kildare town and a Youth Information Centre in Naas.

I, and officials of my Department have met, and continue to meet, regularly with many voluntary organisations and groups providing services to children and young people to see how we can work together to bring about the best possible outcomes for young people, having regard to resources available to us and to ensure that the programmes and services being provided are relevant and responsive to young people’s needs. Ongoing engagement and dialogue with the youth sector organisations and with young people themselves are priorities in the development of the policies and services to support young people’s development and learning.

At local level, Youth Officers of the Education and Training Boards have an important support role on behalf of my Department, to local youth services. My Department works closely with them to address issues that arise for local services. Officials of my Department met Kildare Youth Services and have visited their Kildare Youth Service to hear about their work and their proposals for the provision of services in County Kildare. Further investment in the provision of youth services will be considered in the context of the annual Estimates and Budgetary processes and the implementation of the National Youth Strategy 2015-2020.