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Youth Services Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 April 2017

Thursday, 13 April 2017

Ceisteanna (373, 375)

Dara Calleary

Ceist:

373. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount of funding provided under the capital plan for her Department; the amount spent to date; the progress to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18841/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Dara Calleary

Ceist:

375. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount of funding provided under the capital plan for the youth justice project at Oberstown and early years and youth programmes; the amount spent to date; the progress to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18843/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 373 and 375 together.

The overall resource allocation to my Department under the Capital Investment Plan 2016 – 2021 amounts €136 million. Details of the indicative allocations for each of the capital programmes and the level of expenditure for the period ending March 2017 are set out in the table.

Programme

Allocation

Spend to end March 2017

Child and Family Agency

€81m

€18.4m

Oberstown Children Detention Campus

€10m

€2.1m

General Childcare Programmes

€35m

€7.0m

Youth Organisations and Services

€10m

€2.3m

Total

€136m

€29.8m

Particulars relating to the individual programmes are as follows –

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency

The funding provision to the Agency allows for a number of key critical infrastructural projects to be advanced. These include the completion of the new build and refurbishment works at the Crannog Nua Special Care Unit, Portrane, Dublin, completion of refurbishment works at the Ballydowd Special Care Unit, Lucan, Dublin, further roll out of the National Child Care Information System (NCCIS), minor capital works and vehicle replacement.

The special care unit works at Crannog Nua and Ballydowd are almost complete. The NCCIS system has been piloted in Tusla’s Mid-West region (North Tipperary, Clare and Limerick) and will be rolled out nationally in all 17 Tusla areas between now and the end of 2018. A range of minor capital projects are also underway and Tusla has commenced a vehicle replacement programme. The Capital Plan also includes provision for refurbishment works to frontline staff accommodation.

Oberstown Children Detention Campus

The resource allocation made provision for the development of new national children detention facilities at Oberstown. The project is substantially complete and it has enabled, with effect from 31 March 2017, responsibility for detaining 17 year old males sentenced by the courts to be transferred to Oberstown from the Irish Prison Service. The funding also provides for a range of remedial and improvement works identified as being required following a period of operation of new facilities and several incidences of damage to both new and previously existing facilities by young people. Works are currently underway in one new residential unit and will be replicated across other new units over the next number of months.

General Childcare Programmes

The funding supports the annual Early Years Capital Funding Scheme which aims to improve childcare services through the provision of additional childcare places, building improvements and maintenance and natural outdoor play areas. Pobal has responsibility for administering the 2017 scheme which was open to applications on 24 March and will close on 21 April next. A further €3 million is also available this year to support increased capacity for the provision of school age childcare through the School Age Childcare Capital Scheme. The Scheme is aimed at increasing the number of School Aged Childcare (SAC) places in 2017 and to improve the quality of existing school aged services. The Scheme is being administered on-line by Pobal and currently open to applications since 7 April and will close on 5 May next.

Youth Organisations and Services

The funding is being made available on an annual basis to support small scale projects, including equipment replacement, refurbishments, health and safety fit outs and accessibility projects in local youth services. My Department is engaging with relevant stakeholders in order to identify the capital requirements of the youth sector for 2017. In addition, funds are also made available to Local Authorities to support the provision of play and recreation facilities. Applications for this year`s scheme opened on 30 March and will close on 21 April next.

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