Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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151. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to lower funding or decrease staffing, including community employment schemes, to projects funded by her Department at a facility (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3565/18]

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.

These schemes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme, amounting to €10.65m in 2017, under which funding is made available on an annual basis to thirty national and major regional youth organisations. This funding is intended to ensure the emergence, promotion, growth and development of youth organisations with distinctive philosophies and programmes aimed at the social education of young people.

Scouting Ireland receives grant aid on an annual basis under the Youth Service Grant Scheme. In 2017, €876,337 was allocated to the organisation under the Scheme, a 5% increase over the 2016 allocation.

Budget 2018 provided an additional €1.5m in current funding to my Department to support the provision of youth services, bringing the total allocation to €58.9m. This additional funding will be used for programmes that target disadvantaged young people. My Department has commenced a process with national organisations and local services to identify service development needs for 2018 and to finalise the 2018 allocations. Organisations, including Scouting Ireland, will be advised of their 2018 allocation as soon as possible. It is not envisaged at this point that there will be any reduction in the 2018 Youth Service Grant Scheme grant scheme allocation to Scouting Ireland.

Over the past few years, Scouting Ireland has received significant other funding through my Department, outside of the Youth Service Grant Scheme. The organisation was allocated €150,000 in current funding in 2015 and a further €200,000  in Dormant Accounts  funding in 2016 to support the Operation Lelievlet youth employment initiative. It received €49,630 under the Youth Capital Funding Scheme 2016 / 2017 to fund capital works. In 2015 €30,000 was also provided to the organisation to assist it with its budget sustainability to the year end.

In addition to the grant funding above, additional funding is being provided to Scouting Ireland for its AcadaMoot Programme. Up to €200,000 will be made available to the organisation over a five year period in this regard.

I was pleased to approve the establishment the Local Youth Club Equipment Scheme in 2017. The primary focus of this scheme was to assist volunteer led clubs and groups that work with young people in communities throughout the country.  The scheme allowed for the purchase of equipment for sport, arts, adventure and other much needed items. Some €6.35m has been made available nationally. I am advised that scouting groups across Ireland received in excess of €1.5m under the scheme in late 2017.