Robert Troy
Question:170. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding funding for a youth café (details supplied) in County Longford. [6447/15]
View answerThursday, 12 February 2015
Questions (170)
Written answers
In 2013, €1.5m in capital funding was made available to my Department for a Youth Café scheme. Pobal assisted my Department to administer this scheme. In all 95 applications with proposals were received and some 30 proposals for new youth cafés facilities around the country were approved for funding. These projects are now working with Pobal to develop their projects to the next stage of development. An application for funding was received in respect of the Attic Youth Café, however, the application was deemed ineligible for the scheme.
Representations on behalf of the project have been received in my Department. There have been meetings with the then Ministers for Children and Youth Affairs and officials last year, while officials from my Department and from Pobal met with the project representatives last September. Officials are engaging with the relevant stake-holders and examining all aspects of the Attic's application for funding. The outcome of this examination will be communicated to the project when this process is complete. Pending the outcome of this examination, my Department is not in a position to determine what steps, if any, may be available to the proposers to advance the project.
My Department does not have available to it, a new capital fund for the development of youth cafés in 2015. Youth cafés offer young people a safe, alcohol and drug free space, for recreation, non-formal learning and youth activities. Over the period 2011 to 2013 capital funding made available to my Department has supported the development of some 100 youth café facilities throughout the country. The development of youth café facilities will continue to be a priority should further capital funding become available to my Department in future years.
Longford Youth Service receives funding on an annual basis from my Department under the Special Projects for Youth Scheme. In 2015, funding of €74,651 has been allocated to Longford Youth Services to support the provision of services to young people in the locality.