Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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548. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the need for youth facilities and programmes in the Newcastle, County Dublin area; her plans to put funding and resources in place to address these growing needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31019/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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In 2017 I was delighted to approve funding of €800,000 for the establishment of new youth projects and for the augmentation of a small number of existing youth services to meet new challenges arising from population increases. This additional investment is being provided in regions of the country where there is a pressing need for services to meet the needs of young people.

Each of the sixteen Education and Training Boards, including Dublin and Dun Laoghaire ETB, was invited to nominate locations within their catchment areas for the establishment of new services and to nominate a project or service to be considered for augmentation. In total twenty-eight applications for new Sample VFM Services were received, including an application for a new service in Dublin Rural South, an area which includes Newcastle.

Based on the recommendations of a specially convened appraisal committee, and given the very limited resources available for the scheme, last week I approved the establishment of nine new targeted youth services across the country.

The application in respect of Dublin Rural South was, unfortunately, not successful on this occasion. Should further monies be made available to my Department in the coming years, it is my intention to invite Education and Training Boards to nominate locations for the establishment of new services.