Opposition Senator Michael Fahy attacked Government for cutting so many youth programmes, during the Youth, Sports and Recreation debate in the Upper House budget debate yesterday.

Sen. Fahy pointed out that at the beginning of the Budget speech Government had promised to help youth development but there had been an eight percent cut in that area.

While the Government had pledged 10.5 percent cuts across the board he said youth development should have been spared the brunt of the reductions.

He wondered why general administration in the department had leapt by 39 percent while sports development and youth grants were all getting cut.

The Camp Pequot programme which allows young people to explore camping at Paget Island had suffered a 41 percent decrease in budget allocation or $115,000.

Sen. Fahy said it was an excellent programme for around $150 and those families forced to look for alternatives would have to pay around $400 in the private sector.

However Government have announced The Centre in Hamilton, the St. George's Community Centre and the Springfield Community Centre in Sandys will benefit from funds reallocated from the Boys and Girls Clubs as funding increases by one percent.

Leading the debate Government Senator Marc Bean said: "These centres operate daily until 10 p.m. with increased hours of operation on weekends."

Sen. Fahy praised the work done at The Centre but wondered what had happened to funding and promises to provide a replacement facility.

Youth grants had gone down 44 percent said Sen Fahy and yet such programmes played a vital part in shaping young people to lead productive lives.

And summer day camps have also had a ten percent decrease in funding but Sen. Bean said the cuts would not impact the number of employees and/or children being serviced.

And there is a four percent cut in the after school programme which serves 570 children across the Island.

Sen. Bean said: "This represented a realigning of funds based on current demand, usage and future projections."

However Sen. Fahy pointed out the projected numbers using the programme had changed little.