Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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614. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to provide enhanced funding to a group (details supplied) to carry out youth counselling work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22081/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I understand that Youth Work Ireland Galway has not contacted my Department in relation to a request for enhanced funding for youth counselling work.

The total 2019 Targeted Youth Funding Scheme (TYFS) allocation for Youth Work Ireland Galway amounts to €370,260.

In 2019, €60.4m is allocated in current funding to support the provision of youth services.  This is an increase of €1.5m on 2018. The additional funding is being used for programmes that target disadvantaged young people through the Targeted Youth Funding Scheme.  The increase will also assist national youth organisations in their work to support local voluntary youth services. 

The TYFS is overseen on behalf of my Department by the Education and Training Boards (ETBs).

Future development and investment in youth services will be informed by the mapping exercise completed in 2017, which mapped youth service provision across the State. This mapping will assist the Department and the relevant ETB in developing a detailed social demographic profile in terms of both population numbers and deprivation levels.  My Department is committed to working with ETBs to identify need and explore ways to address this need where it emerges.