Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 July 2013
635. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will outline the total youth services spending in each county to date in 2013 and in each of the previous four years. [36138/13]
View answer636. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether spending on youth services is responsive and proportionate to the populations across each county; if she has undertaken a review in respect of same; if so, if she will share the findings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36139/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 635 and 636 together.
The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department administers a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. Funding of €53.498m, which includes €1.75m capital funding, has been made 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 projects and services provided by the voluntary youth work sector. It is estimated that some 400,000 young people participate in the programmes and services which are provided by approximately 1,400 paid staff and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. Since its establishment, my Department has provided funding for the youth sector as follows: 2011: €60.954m which includes €800,000 capital funding and 2012: €58.306m which includes €1.5m capital funding.
My Department, as with all Government Departments, has been required to achieve significant savings in recent years, with consequent reductions in funding in all major programmes on account of the economic challenges facing the country at this time. The savings required under the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure for the Youth Affairs budget from 2012 to 2014 inclusive amount to €11.987m. In implementing the savings required, I and my Department have 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. I have asked youth organisations and projects to consider the scope for reducing administration and overhead costs as far as is possible and to focus the services for those young people who are most vulnerable.
I have met, and continue to meet with, many youth organisations and groups to try to identify ways to minimise the impact of these necessary savings in order to ensure that the provision of quality youth services to young people is sustained in these challenging times. There are ongoing meetings at official level with youth sector organisations to share information on the challenges facing services and young people.
A comprehensive Value for Money and Policy Review of youth funding has been commenced in my Department and it is anticipated that the findings of this review will inform the future development of youth programmes and services.
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 coordination 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.
The breakdown of funding is not available in the format requested by the Deputy. The Youth Affairs Unit administers funding to some 30 funding bodies including the Education and Training Boards and other agencies. A breakdown of funding per funding body in recent years is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
