Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 February 2018
198. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if additional funding will be provided to a service (details supplied) to cover the cost of 1% pay increases, under the unwinding of financial emergency measures in the public interest or FEMPI, to ensure that the additional staffing costs do not have an impact on service provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9229/18]
View answer199. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of providing additional youth service funding to cover the cost of the pay increases resulting from the unwinding of FEMPI; the steps she is taking to ensure this does not have an impact on service provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9230/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 198 and 199 together.
City of Dublin Youth Service Board is a statutory body which administers grants to approximately ninety youth projects throughout Dublin city. I am aware that a number of youth workers based in Dublin City and employed in projects administered by the City of Dublin Youth Service Board, are on scales linked to public pay scales and may be eligible for increases under the Haddington Road agreement. In this regard, I was advised by City of Dublin Youth Service Board of a circular issued by the Department of Education and Skills in 2017 and that this circular applies to these youth workers.
It is important to note that the youth workers employed by these services are not public servants and that this local arrangement is unique to services operating in Dublin City. I am also advised that all other youth services operating in Dublin and in the rest of the country are not impacted by the Haddington Road agreement.
Based on the information provided to my Department, the cost of implementing the Haddington Road agreement in these Dublin City services is more than offset by the increases provided to all youth services over the past two years. In 2016, all staff-led youth services were provided with a 2.5% increase in allocation. In 2017, services were provided with a 5% increase in their allocation.
My Department has commenced a process with national organisations and local services, including Ballymun Regional Youth Service, to identify service development needs for 2018 and to finalise the 2018 allocations. The primary purpose of this process to ensure that youth services are sufficiently resourced to meet the needs of young people and particularly those who are at risk of drugs or alcohol misuse, early school leaving, homelessness or who are living in disadvantaged communities. Every effort will be made to complete this process as soon as possible and notify all youth services of their allocation for the year.
In this regard, officials within my Department have recently met with and are continuing to work with officials from the City of Dublin Youth Service Board to identify service needs and emerging trends in Dublin City.
