Minister Announces €2.25m Capital Funding For Youth Projects

Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Children & Youth Affairs has today announced €2.25 million in capital funding for youth cafes, youth projects and play and recreation initiatives.

The Minister made the announcement during a visit to Portlaoise to mark National Recreation Week 2012 which is ongoing. The Minister is visiting Portlaoise Youth Café and meeting with a number of local youth groups, including Youth Work Ireland, Macra na Féirme, Foróige and the Mountmellick Youth Development Centre.

€500,000 will be provided in 2012 for the development of a number of youth cafés who had applied for previous youth café funding schemes. €1.75 million will be provided in new capital funding programme for 2013. This will include €1.5million for youth cafes and youth projects and €250,000 for play and recreation initiatives in 2013. Further details regarding the application process for the 2013 funding scheme, will be made available by the Department of Children & Youth Affairs in the coming weeks.

Minister Fitzgerald stated: "Recreation is integral to the lives of children and young people. Today I am announcing a substantial level of funding aimed at supporting the development of young people and their communities.

"My Department and I have actively supported the nationwide development of youth café facilities given the considerable benefits they offer for young people to meet in safe drug and alcohol free spaces. Providing such facilities is a key theme of the government’s emerging substance misuse policy

"The funding I am providing will not only support the development of further youth cafes, but it will also support existing youth centres and youth groups seeking to further develop their activities and facilities."

The Minister also commented on "the importance of supporting play and recreation initiatives given the importance of play to improving outcomes for children and supporting children’s physical, emotional and social development".

The Minister referred to research findings from the Growing Up in Ireland survey which showed that over a quarter of nine year old and three year old children were found to be overweight or obese; and that children who exercised infrequently (less than three days in the last fortnight) were about three times more likely to be overweight or obese than those who exercised on a regular basis (greater than nine days in the last fortnight). Further findings from Growing Up in Ireland also highlight how access to appropriate structured and unstructured recreation activities can have a real and lasting impact on the academic and educational achievements of children.

(CD/GK)