"We emphasised to the minister that the while the organisation would like to continue to support this valuable service, given the current situation that we have no option but to close the project on the 31 March unless we receive some positive news. It is with great sadness that we make this announcement that the project is now closed. The organisation particularly wishes to thank the Society of St Vincent De Paul for their support over the years," said Irene Murphy, Regional Director of Youth Work Ireland, Galway.

A spokesperson from the Department of Education said that the reason behind the decision to stop funding the Young Mothers Projects was to avoid "duplication of effort and resource".

"In assessing applications for funding, consideration is given to Department supported interventions already in place in the relevant areas concerned so as to avoid duplication of effort and resource. The Department currently supports the educational element of eight teenage parenting support projects under the Health Services Executive's Teenage Parenting Support Initiative in Galway, Limerick, Louth, Coolock, Donegal, Carlow, Cork and Dublin," the spokesperson said.

"Funding has been committed in 2008 to the eight teenage parenting support projects as a specific gender element of the School Completion Programme under DEIS in preventing early school leaving among teenage mothers. Links have been established between local School Completion projects in these areas, assisted by the SCP National Coordination Team and the Teenage Parenting Support Initiative Coordinators."

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