Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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243. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of youth workers allocated per county and per service provision nationally in each of the years 2012 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28955/16]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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244. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of youth workers allocated to drugs task forces per county and per service division nationally in each of the years 2012 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28957/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 243 and 244 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 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.

From within this budget, my Department provides €18.9m in funding to projects under the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund. Some 230 projects are supported by the Fund and provide a range of supports including targeted drug prevention and awareness programmes, educational supports, afterschool and homework clubs, social and personal development, Summer programmes and recreational activity. My Department also provides funding to 21 projects under the Local Drug Task Force (LDTF) Scheme amounting to €1.18m. The projects provide a range of supports for young people by way of targeted drug prevention and awareness. This funding is administered mostly by the network of Education and Training Boards.

Services who seek funding from my Department must submit an annual renewal application for funding and an annual progress report in which they detail the target cohort of young people for their services, the programmes that are provided, their objectives for young people and the overall number of young people that have participated in services. In the relevant year the local Education and Training Board youth officer or liaison officer, where appropriate, has a role in recommending the relevant project for continued funding.

Funding is provided by my Department for the provision of youth services. The recruitment, employment and deployment of staff including youth workers are matters for the youth organisations and services themselves. Information about the number of youth workers employed by youth organisations and services by county is not readily available to my Department.