Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2013
125. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the full impact of her recent funding cuts to youth projects via the City of Dublin Youth Services Board; if she accepts that she needs to reverse the cuts and increase funding to these struggling youth services in Dublin and throughout the country (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17280/13]
View answer160. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the impact of funding cuts to youth services under the aegis of the City of Dublin Youth Services Board; her plans to restore these supports, especially to the most disadvantaged communities across the city; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17272/13]
View answer166. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will list the funding allocations for each of the past five years for each funded youth project in the city of Dublin and throughout the State; her plans to secure additional funding for these projects; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17281/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 125, 160 and 166 together.
The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. Funding of some €53.173m is available in 2013 to support the provision of youth services and programmes to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund Rounds 1 and 2 and Local Drugs Task Force Projects. These funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 400,000 young people and involve approximately 1,400 paid staff and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. Notwithstanding the tremendous contribution of youth services, like all publicly funded services at this time, there is a challenge to find ways of maintaining and promoting outcomes at a time of reduced availability of exchequer funding.
The savings required under the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure in respect of 2013 amounted to €5.393m. Having regard to these savings requirements my Department has tried to be as equitable as possible in the determination process for the allocations, and to have particular regard to the protection of front line youth services, particularly those for the most vulnerable young people.
In considering how best to manage within the reduced budgets available, organisations are being asked to consider the scope for reducing administration costs and overheads in order to maintain services for young people. I have met with many youth organisations and groups to try and see how we can work together to minimise the impact of these necessary savings.
A comprehensive Value for Money and Policy Review of youth funding has been commenced in my Department and this report is expected later this year. It is anticipated that this report will inform the provision of funding for youth programmes and services into the future. In addition my Department is developing a new youth policy framework for publication later this year. The new youth policy framework will aim to enhance the provision of youth services and activities and it will, inter alia, promote co-ordination between government departments and youth sector organisations with a view to maximising the effectiveness of the State funding available to support services for young people in future years.
I have requested the Youth Affairs Unit of my Department to forward details of the funding allocations for each of the past five years for each funded youth project in Dublin City and throughout the country as requested by the Deputy.
