Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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141. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount allocated in 2020, 2021 and 2022 on youth information centres; and the amount of this allocation was drawn down for 2020 and 2021, in tabular form. [26770/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The amount allocated in 2020, 2021 and 2022 to youth information centres; and the amount of this allocation that was drawn down for 2020 and 2021 is provided in the table below.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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142. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount allocated in 2020, 2021 and 2022 to Tusla for youth counselling services; and the amount of this allocation that was drawn down for 2020 and 2021, in tabular form. [26771/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department does not allocate a budget amount to Tusla in respect of youth counselling specifically. As the matter raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, I have referred the question to Tusla for direct response to the Deputy.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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143. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount allocated in 2020, 2021 and 2022 to Tusla for family resource centres; and the amount of this allocation that was drawn down for 2020 and 2021, in tabular form. [26772/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, administers the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme which provides funding support to 121 FRCs across the country. My Department allocates core funding for the FRC Programme and for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022, this has amounted to approximately €18m annually.

As budgeting and drawdown of funding for the FRC Programme is an operational matter for Tusla, I have asked Tusla to respond directly to the deputy, to provide the information sought.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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145. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount allocated in 2020, 2021 and 2022 to youth capital projects; and the amount of the allocation that was drawn down for 2020 and 2021, in tabular form. [26774/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The amount allocated in 2020 and 2021 to youth capital projects; and the amount of the allocation that was drawn down for 2020 and 2021 is provided in the table below. Allocations have not yet been made under the Youth Capital scheme in 2022. An application process is currently underway. 

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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146. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount of funding that was allocated to youth services to mitigate Covid-19 and its impact. [26775/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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During the period of Covid-19 restrictions, the youth funding provided by my Department to youth work organisations was maintained fully. An additional €5 million was allocated in Budget 2021 and Budget 2022 to bring the annual youth funding, including capital allocations, to €73 million.

Specific Covid-19 related funding was also made available. A Covid-19 Minor Grant Scheme for Youth Services and Youth Clubs was announced by my Department in June 2021 making €1.4 million in funding available to frontline youth services and clubs nationally to support them as Covid-19 restrictions were relaxed in line with Government guidelines. An application for funding was required.

The funding was dispersed among the 16 Education and Training Boards for local administration to the youth services and clubs within their functional areas.  The application process for funding from the scheme was administered locally by each of the 16 Education and Training Boards, comprising an application, assessment and award process. 

The following table provides details of the indicative funding allocations provided to Education and Training Boards based on the number of youth services and clubs within their functional area together with the funding amounts drawn down.

A Covid-19 Minor Grant Scheme similar to that made available to youth services and youth clubs was launched in September 2021.  Total funding of up to €1 million was made available for distribution between the national youth organisations to defray additional Covid 19 costs, the costs of re-engaging volunteers in universal services, and a contribution towards funding gaps emerging as services re-open in line with Government guidelines. 

Following an application process, funding of over €900,000 was distributed to 23 successful applicant youth organisations following the completion of the assessment process.  Additionally, during the periods of restrictions due to Covid-19, all youth funding provided by the Department was maintained fully.