Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)

I also pay tribute to the officials I am honoured to work with. They are top of the range and have done a huge amount of work. There is not a subhead or piece of information they do not have in terms of the funding and challenges. I have seen at first hand that they have looked at the challenges they may have had in a previous school year and at how they are going to rectify them or put forward proposals. Long may we have officials of that calibre, not just in this Department, but across Government.

Youth services came over to the Department in the configuration. It is new into the Department of education. There has been a substantial increase of €8 million in the budget for 2026. That is €4 million for current and €4 million for capital to support and sustain the development of youth services. The youth services we are looking at are youth organisations. It is completely separate from schools. It is youth organisations like Foróige, Macra na Feirme and others. It is about getting young people to participate in organisational structures. There is a huge benefit to young people from being involved in those organisations. It is harder for those organisations to fundraise for activities they are using.

It is not the poor relation of the Department. It is new into the Department. It was in the Department many moons ago, but it is in the Department and is a hugely important piece. The European Union, in its Presidency next year, will be focusing particularly on youth and youth development, and on the Erasmus and other such programmes.