Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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52. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to increase funding to youth services in Dublin's north inner city in view of the recommendations of the Mulvey report regarding the north inner city. [15029/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I welcome the report “Dublin North Inner City – Creating a Brighter Future”. The report found that there was substantial funding being provided to support youth services in the North Inner City but it recommended greater integration of targeted approaches to at-risk young people in the area. Last month, I approved a further 5% increase in funding to each of the targeted youth services operating in Dublin North Inner City.

City of Dublin Youth Service Board (CDYSB) acts as my Department’s funding intermediary in the administration of targeted youth funding to Dublin North Inner City. It also provides support to 30 voluntary youth clubs and groups in the area. CDYSB co-operates and works with a broad range of statutory and voluntary agencies and is committed to maintaining strong working relationships with among others, Dublin City Council, local project management committees and boards, and local community development organisations.

A number of funding schemes supporting youth services were the subject of a Value for Money and Policy Review in 2014. The review made a number of recommendations for the future operation of the existing 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.

My Department is well advanced on an exercise which will map youth service provision across the State. This mapping exercise will assist my Department in developing a detailed socio-demographic profile in terms of both population numbers and deprivation levels. The mapping exercise will inform future development and investment in youth services in areas such as Dublin's North Inner City.