Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

It is a while ago. Having been young once myself and having reared teenagers, I know one comes to a stage in one's life where one begins to learn it all, or at least one has gone through first and second stage.

I pay particular tribute to the Naas youth services section in my constituency, which has done tremendous work, as the Acting Chairman will know. For the past 20 years it has provided facilities for young people which compete with those who have destruction in mind for the young. The degree to which we can expand such services to areas where the population is burgeoning is crucial. It must happen because if not we will lose the next battle. We should recall what young people have been subjected to both at primary and second level, having had to attend classes in prefabricated buildings. That provides us with an indication of how we consider ourselves. If they manage to survive schooling they will be qualified, but if they do not have a trade and are unqualified they will be vulnerable and may fall by the wayside. This is before we consider the issues of child care, children's health and all the other pressures currently facing society.

Over the years, as public representatives, we have dealt with child psychiatric services many times. As we speak, in the constituency of Kildare North those services are poor due to a lack of investment, personnel, upgrading or any facility to deal with queries as they arise. People complain afterwards when tragedies occur and ask why nothing was done, so we must invest in these services that are required by young people now. We must act for the future because we need such services. If we do not start somewhere we will not succeed. Departments are involved in providing grant aid for various facilities but we need to accentuate that programme. We should examine areas of rapid population expansion and recognise that more investment is required there. We must respond to voluntary agencies that are already providing services and are utilising grant aid well, but we must add more.

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