Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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599. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the financial supports allocated to an organisation (details supplied) and its new national training centre in Tallaght, Dublin 24; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27174/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The organisation referred to by the Deputy receives annual funding as a national youth organisation under the Youth Service Grant Scheme, and in 2020, it has been allocated some €418,000 under this scheme.

In early 2019, the organisation was advised of the capital funding that was available from my Department for youth organisations. Following a successful application, €20,000 was allocated under the 2019 capital scheme for national youth organisations, and it is understood that this allocation was for furniture, kitchen equipment and the IT server. In the capital scheme for 2020, the organisation was allocated €50,000 as a contribution to ICT costs, including an upgrade to its phone systems, audio/visual equipment for their training facility and computers for staff.

The continued funding of voluntary youth organisations through the Youth Services Grant Scheme 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.

The overall funding across all my Department's schemes for youth organisations and clubs supports the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities, by the voluntary youth work sector.