Ms Dearbhla Holohan:

Our programme is funded through SEUPB and the funding has really worked for us. The consultation done took on board the needs of the young people and the framework very much suits youth work organisations coming along and being able to put their stamp on it. With this programme we very much had the freedom to do that. We had a very supportive relationship with SEUPB. All the signs point to the same with PEACEPLUS so far and the process has been very good. Our only criticism is the gap and that is not necessarily the fault of SEUPB. There are many hoops to jump through with the European Commission and so on and the Governments on both sides must sign things off as well. I would not be critical in that respect.

We can go back to the lack of an Assembly in Northern Ireland in which these issues can be raised. The buck really stops with Westminster, which is now in control of that funding pot. There are narratives that we are not any worse off for leaving the EU and all the funding will still be there. That is the scary stuff for us and we are asking where it is. We are not seeing it or any clear and well thought out programmes that will build on years of very positive work and engagement with the communities sector around what works for employability. We have the evidence base and a number of organisations have been doing the work for years. There is also plenty of space for others to come through. It is just about the funding mechanism and who will oversee that.

I can also speak to the child sexual exploitation matter. Include Youth runs a specialist programme and we have another programme called Give and Take.

We work very closely with the five health and social care trusts in Northern Ireland. The programme is specifically designed for young people who are in or leaving care. It has an employability focus as opposed to Strive, which very much has a peacebuilding focus. The programme is funded in the main through the European Social Fund but also through the five health trusts, the Big Lottery Fund, Children in Need, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and other funders. It is, therefore, a very big programme.

The work on child sexual exploitation is funded by Children in Need as part of that programme. It is very much about running the Give and Take programme with young people based around their personal development; mentoring; essential skills in English, mathematics and ICT; and employability. It also provides work tasters and work placements but does this on a one-to-one basis to suit the needs of a young person. The reasons is that where a young person is at risk of or involved in sexual exploitation, he or she will need different supports and safeguarding and it will not always be feasible to take part in a group session for reasons and risk factors relating to safeguarding. The programme runs across Northern Ireland. We take referrals directly from social workers and young people will access the programme and be assigned a youth worker who will work very intensively with him or her. If appropriate, the young person may end up joining the group programmes as well. The Deputy would probably be better off having a follow-up conversation with me and my colleagues who work in that area.