Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I concur with Senator van Turnhout that people are seeking information. As someone who has engaged in door-to-door canvassing on the referendum, I note that people welcome calls to their doors but also want further information. In addition to public meetings, all of the political parties must become involved in campaigning on the referendum.

While I accept the issue of children falling between Departments is not on the agenda, I propose to raise the matter briefly. I have raised previously, including with the Department of Education and Skills, the issue of Life centres. When young people drop out of the education system, they fall between three or four different Departments, primarily the Departments of Justice and Equality and Education and Skills. While the issue is not directly linked to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, I seek a co-ordinated response to this issue. I am involved in a Life centre which has 30 young people who have dropped out of school, many because of drink or drugs. The total funding the centre receives from the State to look after 30 children is €47,500. We have been advised that the local vocational education committee will cut the teaching hours provided to us this year. We now rely on people providing a back-up service on a voluntary basis. Last year, 18 qualified teachers who could not find employment worked with us on a voluntary basis, providing one-to-one education for the children in question.

This issue falls between a number of Departments. The centre provides the only support available to 30 young people.

While it should come under the Department of Justice and Equality and funding should be available from that Department, that is not happening. I ask for that matter to be examined. I appreciate the Minister may not be able to give an answer today but I will write to her. We have raised the issue with the Department of Education and Skills, but I was disillusioned that it appears to have spent more time trying to find out what amount of money we are getting from other sources rather than trying to find funds within its own Department. As it is an important issue, I ask the Minister to come back to me on it.