Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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98. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will remedy Government funding cuts experienced by Scouting Ireland by increasing funds to match its increasing size in budget 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29956/16]

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 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. In 2016, funding of €51m has been provided to my Department for these schemes.

Scouting Ireland receives funding under the Youth Service Grant Scheme administered by my Department. In 2016 current funding of €834,606 has been allocated to the organisation.

In 2016 some €2.6m has been allocated to my Department for a capital funding scheme for youth projects and services. Organisations in receipt of funding under the Youth Services Grants Scheme were eligible to apply for funding. Scouting Ireland successfully applied for funding under this scheme and was awarded €49,630 under Type Two to fund the improvement of disability access and security at Scouting Ireland, National Water Activity Centre in Killaloe, Co Clare.

In addition, Scouting Ireland has been allocated €200,000 under the Dormant Accounts scheme to support its Lelievlet youth employability initiative for young people who are disadvantaged.

Following the Budget 2017 announcement, my Department will immediately commence a process with national organisations and local services to identify service development needs for 2017 and to agree the 2017 allocations. Every effort will be made to complete this process as soon as possible.