Minister O’Gorman announces almost €67m in youth funding for 2021

€41.8m has been made available in targeted funding
National Youth Organisations will benefit from some €12m in universal funding
€4.6m has been made available to the 16 Education and Training Boards
€2.25m has been made available for the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman T.D., has today confirmed that €66.8 million in funding has been made available to support the provision of youth services nationwide in 2021. This investment increases financial support for both youth services and youth clubs, as well as ensuring further strengthening and development of UBU Your Place Your Space, universal service provision and youth information.

This €66.8m in funding is broken down as follows:

€41.8 million has been made available in targeted youth funding under UBU Your Place Your Space, including

-Increases for existing UBU Your Place Your Space services totalling almost €1 million

-The provision of additional funding of €1 million to establish new UBU Your Place Your Space services, with an initial six new services being planned for the first part of 2021.

National Youth Organisations will benefit from an increase to some €12 million in universal funding under the Youth Services Grant Scheme.
Local youth clubs will benefit from an increase to €2.25 million.
Youth Information Centres will see an increase in allocations to services and be supported through a new nationwide programme of co-ordination and modernisation. Funding of €1.57 million is being provided for this purpose.
Education and Training Boards (ETBs) around the country will receive €4.6m to support their work and engagement with young people. As the mid-level governance structure for Exchequer funded youth service provision, ETBs perform a key role in the assessment and development of youth services in their area.
The remaining investment will strengthen quality, see the development of a new youth strategy, support the important role of ETBI, and support the operations of Leargas, Gaisce – the President’s Award, EU and North/South Initiatives and the LGBTI+ Youth Strategy.

Minister O’Gorman stated:

“I am pleased to announce the funding allocation for youth services for 2021. The increase of €5m, or 8%, which represents a notably larger sum than has been allocated in recent years, provides an opportunity to expand on the innovation and achievements of the sector in 2020.

"In this last dramatic year, I have been very impressed by the passion and determination at every level of the youth sector in responding to a wide range of challenges, not least of which is supporting our young people at the time of a global pandemic. I have also been impressed at the ability of the sector to harness innovation to the benefit of all young people and it is my hope that I can support this in the period ahead.

"I am committed to further progress in our youth funding and policy space over 2021. My Department will oversee the establishment of additional services in UBU Your Place Your Space and drive forward reform across both Youth Information Centres and the Youth Services Grant Scheme in a spirit of collaboration and partnership.

"I have enormous respect for the transformative effect that comes from quality youth work with young people. I think recent history has shown what we have been saying from some time, funding for youth services changes lives, makes economic sense, and promotes equity, inclusion and social cohesion.”

ENDS

Notes to the Editor:

UBU Your Place Your Space provides funding of almost €42 million to over 250 targeted youth services across 16 Education and Training Boards. It became operational on 1 July 2020. It replaced previous targeted youth funding arrangements. Funded organisations support young people who are marginalised, disadvantaged, or vulnerable. (For further information see – www.ubu.gov.ie )
Funding for National Youth Organisations is provided under the Youth Services Grant Scheme. This scheme is being reformed in 2021. YSGS funded organisations will benefit from some €12 million. The funding ensures the continued promotion, growth and development of these organisations in the provision of universal and targeted services for young people.
Funding of over €2.25 million has been made available for the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme. This scheme supports youth work activities at a local level by providing grants to youth clubs and groups. These are volunteer led and funding is accessed through the Education and Training Boards. This scheme supports some 1,400 clubs or groups nationwide.
Funding of over €4.6 million has been made available to the sixteen Education and Training Boards (ETBs) around the country to support their work and engagement with young people. As the mid-level governance structure for Exchequer funded youth service provision, ETBs perform a key role in the assessment and development of youth services in their area.
The remaining funding supports a number of smaller initiatives throughout the youth sector.

Summary of Funding Envelope to Education and Training Boards

ETB Funding Envelope Approved for 2021	Targeted Youth Funding Scheme / UBU Your Place Your Space 2021	YIC 2021	Local Youth Club Grant Scheme 2021	ETB Youth Grant 2021	Total Funding 2021
Cavan and Monaghan	€528,949	€117,355	€60,830	€150,620	€857,754
CDETB / CDYSB	€14,408,267	€102,167	€364,870	€1,033,694	€15,908,998
Cork	€3,127,281	€130,355	€243,398	€353,561	€3,854,595
DDLETB	€7,771,104	€131,308	€357,541	€653,331	€8,913,284
Donegal	€374,367	€141,433	€71,583	€119,605	€706,988
Galway and Roscommon	€2,009,414	€52,028	€145,766	€265,562	€2,472,770
Kerry	€438,657	€118,569	€60,241	€133,538	€751,005
Kildare and Wicklow	€1,685,362	€104,056	€169,649	€216,633	€2,175,700
Kilkenny and Carlow	€908,132	€52,028	€69,657	€249,456	€1,279,273
Laois and Offaly	€233,653		€73,991	€119,609	€427,253
Limerick and Clare	€2,863,053	€107,230	€143,541	€339,927	€3,453,751
Longford and Westmeath	€598,705	€52,028	€59,171	€132,035	€841,939
Louth and Meath	€625,453		€149,426	€193,611	€968,490
Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim	€520,975	€68,594	€96,915	€207,527	€894,011
Tipperary	€839,885	€60,847	€69,903	€183,735	€1,154,370
Waterford and Wexford	€2,509,881	€112,875	€118,182	€322,574	€3,063,512
Total	€39,443,138	€1,350,873	€2,254,664	€4,675,018	€47,723,693

YSGS Allocation to National Youth Organisations for 2021

Organisation	2021 Allocation
Foróige	€3,073,942
Youth Work Ireland	€2,312,713
Scouting Ireland	€1,192,727
Crosscare	€1,054,728
National Youth Council of Ireland	€664,906
Macra na Feirme	€508,380
Irish Girl Guides	€438,904
Catholic Guides of Ireland	€297,289
Involve	€262,915
No Name Club Ltd	€224,028
Belong To	€218,922
Ogras	€213,923
An Oige	€207,202
Church of Ireland Youth Department	€206,479
Young Mens Christian Association	€173,712
Localise Youth and Community Service ltd	€147,860
ECO - UNESCO Clubs	€140,504
Youth Theatre Ireland	€116,914
SpunOut	€111,567
Feachtas	€102,338
Voluntary Services International	€92,617
Young Irish Film Makers	€67,112
The Boys Brigade	€65,963
National Federation of Arch Clubs	€60,003
Order of Malta Cadets	€55,579
Girls Brigade	€52,221
Girls Friendly Society	€36,383
Irish Methodist Youth & Children Dept	€34,169
Experiment In International Living	€33,090
Junior Chamber Ireland	€19,448
TOTAL	€12,186,536

This total does not include additional funding of €1 million to establish new UBU Your Place Your Space services, with an initial six new services being planned for the first part of 2021. This funding will be allocated during the year.