Dr. Patrick J. Burke:

The difficulty is that it very much depends on where you are living and the initiative of the local community in which you are living. Over the years, very proactive communities have found ways of funding services for young people in their communities, and then in other areas there is nothing. That is why we have been calling for a national strategy that would deliver spaces dedicated specifically to young people. There are all sorts of models out there that could be used well in partnership with other State agencies, local authorities and even private developers and what have you. The bottom line, however, is that not every young person has access to a service, either a local community hall or even a dedicated youth space. That has to be prioritised.