Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 September 2014
712. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the services for young people through the young people's facilities and young people’s facilities and services fund to 2011 levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34516/14]
View answer726. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to consult with the Minister with responsibility for drugs on the future of young people’s facilities and services funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33365/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 712 and 726 together.
My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. In 2014, funding of €49.78m has been provided to my Department for these schemes. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 400,000 young people and involve, approximately 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country.
From within this budget, my Department provides funding to projects under the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund. Some 240 projects are supported under the Fund. They are located in disadvantaged areas where a significant drug problem exists or has the potential to develop. The objective is to attract “at risk” young people into facilities and activities and divert them away from the dangers of substance abuse. In 2014, the allocation for the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund is €18.397m.
The provision of additional funding for the youth funding schemes including the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund is a matter for consideration in the context of the annual budget and the resources available to the Government.
My Department has completed a Value for Money and Policy Review of a number of the youth funding schemes that target disadvantaged young people including the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund. The review makes recommendations for the future operation of these youth schemes that will shape their development in the years ahead to ensure quality effective, value for money services that are evidence based and designed to secure the best outcomes for young people. The review’s recommendations will further inform the development of a National Youth Strategy which is due for completion this year.
I work closely with the Minister for Health and other ministers of Government on a range of policy priorities for children and young people. This includes the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy 2009 – 2016, a cross cutting Government Strategy which is led by the Minister for Health and overseen by the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy. My Department is represented on the Oversight Forum on Drugs which is chaired by the Minister for Health. In these contexts consultations will take place on the findings on the Value for Money Policy Review and the recommendations as to how best the youth programmes, including the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund, may be developed for the future to improve the prospects of securing good outcomes for the most vulnerable young people.
