Vol. 440 No. 6
113 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Education if she will provide funding for a full-time youth worker for the Columban Youth Project, Ballymun, Dublin 11, in view of the good work that this project does for disadvantaged youth; the estimated cost involved; the number of full-time youth workers that are funded by her Department in the Dublin area; and the locations in Dublin where these youth workers are involved.
In view of the constraints on the 1994 budget for youth affairs and the very high level of existing commitments, it is not possible for me to consider the allocation of financial assistance to new applications. Accordingly, I am unable to provide funding for the Columban Youth Project, for which a grant of £35,000 has been sought by the project management for 1994 and which is understood to involve a total annual cost of £55,000.
The information requested regarding the number and location of full-time youth workers in the Dublin area is not immediately available because the youth workers concerned are not employed directly by my Department but by many outside organisations and agencies. However, I shall do my utmost to provide the particulars sought by the Deputy as soon as possible, following the necessary consultations with the outside bodies concerned.
