Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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32. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of discussions between her Department and the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board on the appointment of a dedicated youth office for County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15201/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department will provide an allocation to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board for the provision of a full time youth officer for County Kildare in 2017. My Department is engaging with the ETB in this regard and I expect that the post will be filled shortly. In the interim, the ETB has a Youth Officer in place who is very active in both counties.

The Deputy will be aware that the provision of the full-time officer follows my engagement with public representatives, youth organisations, the Gardaí and others in Co Kildare. Indeed the Deputy himself as well as Deputy O’Loughlin joined me on 22 June last when I opened the Hive Youth Café in Kildare Town. It was an evening of celebration. During the visit I also took time to sit down with youth and community representatives to discuss the needs of a county which has one of the youngest populations. It was a productive discussion and I came away very impressed with the partnership which has formed in Kildare to deliver for young people.

It was agreed then that we would continue further engagement and on 16 November I met members of the Kildare Children and Young People's Services Committee and the Kildare Local Community Development Committee here in Leinster House. The urgent need for the provision of the full time post was highlighted during that discussion. I can now confirm that following that meeting and contacts with the Deputy and other public representatives that we are now in a position to move forward.

My Department has has been working with a number of ETBs which have not had a full Youth Officer function in place. With this in mind, I have increased the overall allocation for this purpose nationally, from €1.743m in 2016 to €2m this year.

The increased allocation is illustrative of my commitment to youth services, and I wish Kildare and Wicklow ETB well as it moves to fill this valuable post.