Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2018
513. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of youth workers funded in south-west County Cork; the way in which this number compares proportionally with the number of youth workers employed throughout the rest of the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8774/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra514. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to rectify the situation of the under provision of youth workers by establishing and resourcing a dedicated west County Cork youth service and providing resources for this new entity to commence delivery of service at a level on a par with services in other counties (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8775/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 513 and 514 together.
My 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.
In 2018, €58.9 m has been allocated in current funding to support the provision of youth services, an increase of €7m on 2016. The additional funding is being used for programmes that target disadvantaged young people and to assist national youth organisations in their work to support local voluntary youth services. Funding to staff led youth services has generally been targeted at areas of disadvantage and not in proportion to the youth population of a county.
The Deputy will be aware that my Department is managing the most significant reform of youth services ever undertaken. This will provide an opportunity to identify need and to focus funding on young people most in need of intervention. Last year, I approved funding for the establishment of new youth projects and for the augmentation of a small number of existing youth services to meet new challenges arising from population increases.
Each of the sixteen Education and Training Boards, including Cork ETB, was invited to nominate locations within their catchment areas for the establishment of new services and to nominate a project or service to be considered for augmentation. In total twenty-eight applications for new services were received. Subsequently I approved the establishment of nine new targeted youth services across the country and the expansion of a further seven to respond to new demand from increased population and needs of young people which included a new service in Mitchelstown and an augmented service in Midleton.
Future development and investment in youth services will be informed by the mapping exercise completed last year which mapped youth service provision across the State. This mapping will assist the Department and the relevant ETB in developing a detailed social demographic profile in terms of both population numbers and deprivation levels. My Department is committed to working with Cork ETB to identify need and explore ways to address this need where it emerges.
