Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 September 2023
247. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to detail all funding streams available to youth clubs, administered either by his Department or by outside agencies on behalf of his Department, that can contribute towards capital, staff and operating expenses. [42006/23]
View answerMy Department is providing current funding of some €72.948 million in 2023 to support the delivery of youth services and projects.
The Local Youth Club Grant Scheme, supports youth work activities at a local level by providing small grants to youth clubs and groups. €2.5 million has been made available for the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme this year. These grants are made available to all youth clubs and groups through their local Education and Training Boards (ETBs). Each year, up to 1,400 local youth clubs or groups are eligible to apply under the scheme.
In view of the limited capital funding available for distribution on an annual basis, the Youth Affairs Unit oversees the administration of annual youth capital funding schemes for the national youth organisations and the youth services and youth clubs within the functional areas of the sixteen Education and Training Boards. These capital schemes make available small grants which support the purchase of essential equipment and the completion of minor works, including adapting of outside areas for working with young people, ventilation, sanitary facilities and health and safety requirements.
Along with the above funding which is directly targeted at youth clubs, €46.29m is allocated to the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme, which provides funding to youth organisations who support disadvantaged, vulnerable and marginalised young people. A further €13.4m in funding is made available through the Youth Service Grant Scheme on an annual basis to 30 national and major regional voluntary organisations.
