Written answers

Tuesday, 8 November 2016

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Departmental Priorities

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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51. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the aspect of youth affairs that has generated most concern in the past ten years; the extent to which adequate action was taken; the quality and efficacy of measures put in place to address such issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33515/16]

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Prior to the establishment of my Department in 2011, funding for youth services was provided through a number of disparate funding schemes and administered by several Government Departments. Against this backdrop, my Department has engaged in a reform programme to ensure quality effective, value for money services that are evidence based and designed to secure the best outcomes for young people.

My Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people. It is estimated that the voluntary youth services involve approximately 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working throughout the country.

The schemes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme under which funding is made available on an annual basis to thirty national and major regional youth organisations, the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme which supports youth work activities at a local level and the Youth Information Centre Scheme which funds twenty five Youth Information Centres.

Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund, Rounds 1 and 2 and Local Drugs Task Force Projects.

My Department, along with all government departments, was required to deliver substantial savings on all funding programmes in line with the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure 2012 – 2014. My Department sought to ensure that front line youth services, particularly those for the most vulnerable young people, were protected as far as is possible from the impact of any necessary reductions in funding.

You will be aware that the targeted schemes supporting youth services were the subject of a Value for Money and Policy Review. The review involved an in-depth scrutiny of the impact youth service provision has on young people’s lives. The review made a number of recommendations for the future operation of the youth schemes and their development in the years ahead.

The work on the development of a new funding scheme has been prioritised by my Department and consultations with youth services are continuing with a view to introducing the new youth funding programme in line with the Value for Money and Policy Review of Youth Programmes over the coming years.

The National Youth Strategy 2015-2020, published last October, was developed in close consultation with statutory youth interests and the voluntary youth organisations and services that work with young people.

The strategy sets out Government’s aims for young people, aged 10 to 24 years, so that they are active and healthy, achieving their full potential in learning and development, safe and protected from harm, have economic security and opportunity and are connected and contributing to their world. The Strategy identifies some fifty priority actions to be delivered by Government departments, state agencies and by others, including the voluntary youth services over 2015 to 2017. They include actions to address issues which are a high priority for young people themselves.

There have been other significant policy and legislative developments that are relevant to the provision of youth services. These include the setting up of the North South Education and Training Standards Committee for youth work and the introduction of the Education and Training Boards Act 2013 which, inter alia, provides for a statutory function for Education and Training Boards in supporting the provision and assessment of youth work services at local level.

At EU level, the Council of Ministers for Youth has adopted an EU Youth Strategy and has taken a number of policy initiatives to promote quality in the provision of youth work services. The National Strategy on Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision-making 2015-2020, which was published by my Department in June, 2015 is particularly relevant. I am deeply committed to ensuring that young people are involved in the preparation, planning and implementation of policies that impact on their lives.

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that Budget 2017 has provided some €57m in current funding to my Department to support the provision of youth services. The increase of €5.5m effectively reverses the cuts which had to be endured in recent years.

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