Vol. 512 No. 1
34 Mr. D'Arcy asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will ensure funding for youth projects administered by area partnership companies from 1 January 2000; the discussions, if any, he has had with the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25415/99]
The area based partnerships are funded at present as part of the EU aided Operational Programme for Local Urban and Rural Development 1994-99 co-ordinated by the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation. My colleague Minister of State, Deputy Flood, in a recent statement to the House accepted that the present programmes under this operational programme have made significant achievements in combating disadvantage. I would again state, as he did, that it is the Government's intention that the new national development plan will build on these successes.
Under the new national development plan £302.4 million has been provided to support a wide range of youth services. The question of continued funding or mainstreaming of youth projects administered by area partnership companies will be progressed in the context of this plan. In the meantime, I understand that the board of ADM, which administers the partnership, has made allocations which will allow activities under current plans to continue into next year.
Preliminary discussions have taken place between officials of my Department and the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation on the future role of partnerships in tackling educational disadvantage which would include projects for disadvantaged youth. However, these discussions will be continuing to ensure complementarity between the range of national programmes to tackle educational disadvantage and the issues being addressed at more local level by area partnership companies.
