Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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703. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which her Department has received applications for financial support from various youth organisations throughout the country in the current year; the extent to which she expects to be in a position to respond favourably; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7442/17]

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 more than 450 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. In 2017, funding of €57.4m will be provided to my Department for these schemes.

The schemes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme under which funding is made available on an annual basis to 30 national and major regional youth organisations. 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 the Local Drugs Task Force Projects Scheme. In addition, my Department provides funding to 20 Youth Information Centres.

Youth projects and services in receipt of funding are required to complete an annual application form for my Department. The process also involves the submission of an annual progress report detailing the services provided and the cohort of young people who participate in youth activities.

My Department also funds the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme, which supports youth work activities at a local level. These grants are made available to all youth clubs and groups through the local Education and Training Boards.

The question of additional funding to my Department to support the provision of youth services is a matter for consideration in the context of the annual Estimates and Budgetary processes and having regard to the resources available to the Government. In recent years, my Department has been in a position to provide ‘once-off’ funding to assist youth organisations and projects that were experiencing budgetary difficulties as they approach the end of the year.

These youth organisations and projects came to my Department's attention through engagement with the national youth organisations, youth officers in the Education and Training Boards, through representations and submissions received and through regular meetings with youth services in the course of the year.

I and officials of my Department have met, and continue to meet regularly, with youth organisations and projects. My aim is 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.