Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 February 2018
265. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the strategy for funding direct contact youth work services as distinct from Tusla-funded child services in the Ballymun area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6630/18]
View answerMy 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. The funding schemes support national and local youth work involving approximately 1,400 youth work staff working in youth services and communities throughout the country.
Budget 2018 has provided an additional €1.5m in current funding to my Department to support the provision of youth services. This additional funding will be used for programmes that target disadvantaged young people.
Established in 1999, Ballymun Regional Youth Resource is a youth work organisation with special emphasis on young people at risk of drug misuse. The centre based youth work has a strong focus on developmental group activities and the provision of youth work training and practical supports. Youth funding of €1,202,395m was provided for this service in 2017.
Poppintree Youth Project supports the personal, interpersonal, social and analytical development of young people. Poppintree develops programmes which include recreational activities, sports and adventure, creative arts and skills development. Youth funding of €219,147 was provided for this service in 2017.
Ballymun Travellers Project is operated by Exchange House Travellers Youth Service and provides educational, developmental and recreational programmes for travellers in St Margaret's. Youth funding of €89,515 was provided for this service in 2017.
Following the Budget 2018 announcement, my Department commenced a process with national organisations and local services to identify service development needs for 2018 and to finalise the 2018 allocations. Every effort is being made to complete this process as soon as possible.
The sixteen Education and Training Boards act as funding and service intermediaries on behalf of my Department. Youth funding grants are awarded on the basis of completed renewal of application forms which are submitted to the Department via the funding intermediary. These renewal applications request details of the service's proposed programmes, objectives, outputs and outcomes for the year in which funding is sought.
All services in receipt of Department of Children and Youth Affairs grant aid are required to submit annual signed audited accounts/ financial statements. Services are also required to submit progress reports via the funding intermediary, detailing, inter alia, the service’s opening times, target groups, numbers of staff, volunteers and young people.
Funding to these staff-led youth services has generally been targeted at areas of disadvantage and not in proportion to the youth population of each county. My Department recently completed an exercise with Pobal and each Education and Training Board which mapped youth service provision across the State.
This mapping exercise will assist my Department and each Education and Training Board in developing a detailed social demographic profile in terms of both population numbers and deprivation levels and will inform future development and investment in youth services.
