Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 September 2012
164. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent if any, to which she and her Department have worked out the scale or extent of youth support services required to ensure that young persons can draw confidence from the existence of such support services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40882/12]
View answerMy Department has a range of services in place for young people. Funding of some €56.806m is available from my Department in 2012 to support the provision of youth services and programmes to young people throughout the country through a number of schemes. These schemes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme, the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund and certain other provisions including the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme, Youth Information Centres, the European Youth in Action Programme (administered by Léargas – the Exchange Bureau) and Gaisce – the President's Award.
The main objectives of the Youth Affairs area of my Department are to develop and implement coherent, coordinated and relevant youth policies and strategies to support the youth sector in providing effective non-formal education and developmental opportunities for young people through which they can enhance and develop their personal and social skills and competencies. These opportunities also equip young people with applicable and transferable skills and competences which can prove highly-valuable for young people and can help them address the various challenges, including socio and economic challenges, faced by them.
Under the Special Projects for Youth Scheme grant-aid is made available to organisations and groups for specific projects which seek to address the needs of young people who are disadvantaged due to a combination of factors e.g., social isolation, substance misuse, homelessness, early school leaving and unemployment. Projects focus on the personal and social development of participants to enable them to realise their potential. There are currently 181 projects funded under this scheme and funding of €17.042m has been allocated for 2012. The Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund (Rounds 1 and 2) assists in the development of preventative strategies in a targeted manner through the development of youth facilities, including sports and recreational facilities, and services in disadvantaged areas where a significant drug problem exists or has the potential to develop. Funding of €21.332m has been allocated to these schemes in 2012.
Other support services for young people include the Local Drug Task Force projects and the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme. Local Drug Task Force projects provide a range of supports for young people by way of targeted drug prevention and awareness programmes as well as referrals. Funding of €1.34m has been allocated for this purpose in 2012. The Local Youth Club Grant Scheme supports youth work activities at a local level. These grants are made available to all youth clubs and groups through local Vocational Education Committees. €1.035m has been made available for youth clubs in 2012.
My Department is developing a new youth policy framework which my Department for publication in 2013 to enhance the development, participation and support of young people in youth services. The policy framework will facilitate and promote co-ordination and coherence across departments and front line youth services. It will set out the priorities to be achieved for effective and responsive support services for young people in the years ahead.
