Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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198. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware that the Laois-Offaly Education Training Board youth service grant allocation is the lowest of all 16 ETBs; if he will seek to immediately increase grant allocation for Laois-Offaly Education Training Board to enable an increase in service-provision capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26642/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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At the time of the launch of the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme in 2020, allocations made to all Education and Training Boards (ETBs) under this scheme were based on the number of youth services that operated under the predecessor schemes in each ETB functional area. Laois-Offaly ETB's allocation has increased since then on a similar basis to that for other ETBs. When additional funding becomes available, services are introduced on the basis of a competitive selection process informed by key geographic and thematic areas in each ETB area.

In 2024, Laois-Offaly ETB is being allocated a total of €813,637 to support service provision in relation to youth services, the details of which are set out in the table below.

Over €424,500 has been allocated to youth services in Laois-Offaly ETB under the UBU Your Place Your Space Scheme. An additional €12,000 has been allocated to the ETB under the Resilience and Effectiveness Scheme 2024, which enables funded organisations to develop capacity as well as to engage in and expand on innovative and responsive service delivery types to cater for and respond to emerging needs.

Furthermore, Laois-Offaly ETB has received €36,333 for the new Targeted Youth Employability Support Initiative in 2024 while €75,000 has been allocated to support the integration of young Ukrainians under the Migrant Integration Fund. In addition, Minor Grant Scheme funding of €50,000 has been made available to the ETB in 2024 to provide additional programme related costs associated with the provision of universal youth work supports for all young people.

My officials have begun work on a review of the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme which will consider, inter alia, how to address the situation of ETBs in receipt of lower annual funding allocations.

Laois-Offaly Education Training Board Allocation 2024