The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department supports the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities, by the voluntary youth sector. These schemes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme, the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund Rounds 1 and 2, Local Drug Task Force Projects 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.
Funding of €53.173m has been provided to my Department for the provision of youth services in 2013. Of this total funding, €1.75 has been provided in a new capital funding programme for 2013.
Having regard to the savings requirements identified in the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure my Department has tried to ensure that, in the determination process for the allocations, the front line youth services, particularly those for the most vulnerable young people are protected as far as is possible from the impact of any necessary reductions in funding. The savings required under the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure in respect of 2013 amounted to €5.393m which equated to almost a 10% reduction on 2012 funding available for the provision of youth services.
My Department notified all grant administering agencies of the 2013 funding allocations on the 19th February last. However, in view of the reduction in funding in recent years due to the challenging fiscal situation, grant administering agencies/bodies, who administer the funding on behalf of my Department, were afforded the flexibility to make recommendations to my Department to reconfigure the allocations based on their local knowledge and expertise in relation to the projects in their respective areas. In the case of Cabra Youth Service the City of Dublin Youth Service Board (CDYSB), which is the grant administering agency for the Dublin City area, made such recommendations to my Department. These recommendations were considered and approval was granted by my Department on the 21st March. I understand that letters in relation to the 2013 funding allocations have now been issued by CDYSB to the projects in the Dublin City area.
