Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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503. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the general situation when her Department is commissioning work from various groups to provide a service and is asked as part of the pricing structure to add on 25% to the staffing costs of a proposed project to cover overheads; the overheads that should be included; if it includes accommodation, utilities, rent, information technology facilities and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53717/18]

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. In 2018, youth funding of €58.9m was provided to my Department.

These youth funding schemes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme under which funding is made available on an annual basis to 30 national and major regional youth organisations. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund, Rounds 1 and 2 and the Local Drugs Task Force Projects Scheme. In addition, my Department provides funding to 20 Youth Information Centres.

Since 2016, a further 23 new and augmented youth services and projects which target disadvantaged young people and which respond to an identified need have been approved for establishment throughout the country. These additional youth projects are a key element of the substantial reform process of youth funding which is currently underway.

Youth projects and services in receipt of youth funding from my Department are required to complete an annual application form which is submitted to my Department via the relevant Education and Training Board. The national youth organisations submit application forms directly to my Department.

The application process requires projects and services to provide detailed information on the expenditure and administration of the proposed funding budget which is being applied for and details are sought of the direct and indirect costs associated with a project or service. Direct costs include information on staff costs and programme costs. Indirect costs include information on management fees, advertising, rent, rates, light, heat, building maintenance costs, IT, legal, audit and other administration costs.

The application form does not stipulate any specific apportionment rules in relation to overheads or other costs.