Minister of State Mr James Browne announces funding allocations for Youth Diversion Projects for 2022.
- Just under €6.7m in funding being allocated to over 50 projects around the country
- Funding will go towards assisting projects with boundary extensions, appointing family support workers, working with harder-to-engage children and early intervention
- Will contribute towards aim of providing YDP services in every county in Ireland
Minister of State with responsibility for Youth Justice, Mr James Browne T.D., is delighted to announce just under €6.7m in funding allocations for over 50 Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs) nationwide.
YDPs engage with young people through a range of supports, including education, training and employment support, social enterprise initiatives, as well as personal development and supports such as mentoring, and personal development activities.
Welcoming the announcement, Minister Browne said:
“Having visited many Youth Diversion Projects across the country during my time as Minister of State, I have seen first-hand the positive impact they have on both the young people who they welcome through their doors and the wider communities in which they are based.
I am delighted to see such a significant allocation be dispersed to projects right across the country. This money will help some projects extend their work into neighbouring communities, it will help some projects to devote specific resources to harder-to-engage children and it will help some projects to appoint new or additional family support workers.
This announcement follows on from the publication of the Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027 last year, which provides a developmental framework to address key ongoing challenges, as well as new and emerging issues, in the youth justice area.”
Minister Browne continued,
“One of the objectives of the Youth Justice Strategy is to have full YDP coverage in all parts of the country. This funding goes a long way to making that possible as it will allow for current YDPs to expand their boundaries and a further €780,000 is also being set aside for the establishment of new YDPs.
It is my and the Department’s stated ambition to ensure that the provision of YDP services is available to every child in the state who would benefit from it within the next two years.”
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