Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

78. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a commitment will be made to the value for money scheme post-2017; if more resources and funding will be allocated to this initiative which is running successfully in County Cavan; her plans to extend the value for money scheme to other counties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6940/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In 2016, funding of €51m was provided to my Department for various youth schemes. I was delighted to receive an additional €5.5m in current funding in Budget 2017 to support the provision of youth services, bringing the total youth funding in 2017 to €57.4m. This additional funding 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. My Department has commenced the process with national organisations to identify service development needs for 2017 and to agree their 2017 allocations.

As the Deputy may be aware, a number of funding schemes supporting youth services were the subject of a Value for Money and Policy Review in 2014. 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.

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 review.

My Department has embarked on an exercise, in conjunction with Pobal and each Education and Training Board (ETB) Youth Officer, which will map youth service provision across the State. This mapping exercise will assist my Department and the relevant ETB in developing a detailed socio-demographic profile in terms of both population numbers and deprivation levels. It is my intention that this mapping exercise will inform future development and investment in youth services.

During 2016, my Department provided funding for the commencement of five “Sample VFMPR” youth projects commenced in South East Cavan, West Wicklow, Drogheda, County Louth, in Cahir, County Tipperary and in the Fethard/Killenaule area of Tipperary.

It is my intention to support these five new projects during 2017 and details of the allocations to these projects will issue shortly. In addition, I hope to allocate further funding towards the costs of developing and establishing further new sample projects. Over the next year, my Department will work closely with the sixteen ETBs in this regard. The mapping exercise will inform future development and investment in youth services.