CHILDREN'S MINISTER DEFENDS CUTS TO YOUTH WORK IRELAND

Date Published: 14-Mar-2013

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is defending the cuts imposed on Youth Work Ireland Galway.

Galway Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh raised the issue in the Seanad this week where he asked for an explanation on what he claimed was a retrospective cutback of 10%.

He says this will lead to at least one addition to the dole queue, which in turn would impact on services such as the removal of supports to 12 voluntary youth clubs.

Youth Work Ireland Galway provides services to hundreds of young people across the city and county.

This year, the Department of children and youth affairs will provide over 53 million to support the delivery of youth work programmes nationally.

A review of expenditure in 2011 set out savings to be made for 20-12, 20-13, and 20-14 from youth work funding which outlined a saving of 10 percent this year, with a lesser saving for next year.

Speaking on behalf of Minister Frances Fitzgerald in the Seanad, Minister of state Kathleen Lynch defended the cut to youth work programmes.