Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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162. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the engagement he and his Department have had with community and voluntary organisations in Kildare with regard to funding increases to address heightened demand for their services due to Kildare experiencing the highest rate of population increase in the State, and with the highest percentage of young people per capita; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22119/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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In relation to youth services and young people, my Department maintains close contact with 30 national youth organisations which it funds under the Youth Service Grant Scheme. My officials and I meet formally with these organisations twice a year to share knowledge and information on developments or challenges in the youth sector. This provides a forum for organisations to give information on national issues but also identify specific locations that require additional focus. A number of these national organisations provide a range of youth services in the Kildare area.

My Department provides funding to all 16 Education and Training Boards (including Kildare/Wicklow ETB) to support youth services in their area. Youth Officers are supported to provide an important function for my Department in the co-ordination and administration of youth services at local level. My officials hold quarterly meetings with representatives of the ETBs. These meetings assist my Department in identifying service needs and emerging issues, particularly for vulnerable young people.

Currently the ETBs are engaged in drawing together information and evidence regarding the needs and issues affecting young persons that would be appropriate for responses through youth work related services. These needs assessments have regard to a number of factors, including population growth where CSO and Census data are available.

Officials from my Department also meet with various youth organisations on an individual basis when the need arises, in regular formal meetings with individual organisations, or as a group, and by maintaining informal contacts.

I remain highly committed to supporting this important sector, which has enormous value both to the many young people involved and from a broader social and economic viewpoint.