Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In April Youth Work Ireland, representatives of youth clubs in every county, met Members of the Oireachtas to raise various issues and the concerns of youth organisations. Young people are our greatest resource. There is a need at parliamentary level to recognise and acknowledge their role in a modern society.

I also wish to acknowledge the magnificent work done on behalf of young people by the officers, local organisers and voluntary helpers. Over the years, they have built up excellent services and structures in various formats throughout their communities. They have provided such vital support for our youth over several generations.

Youth clubs are crucial for character development, well-being and social inclusiveness of young people. For many years, however, they have been cash-strapped and run on a shoestring budget. They have tried to run various programmes and activities during the recession with a consequent shortage of funding. In addition, cuts to vital services in the educational system, such as the reduction of career guidance counsellors, mean that up to 200 second-level schools cannot provide one-to-one counselling as they did previously. It was a reasonably good service up to some years ago, but that has now been removed. This is one of the main reasons why 15,000 young people have dropped out of education and do not sit the leaving certificate examination. This is happening annually. The provision of career guidance in schools is inadequate and, in addition, up to 1,000 pupils are leaving the system once they complete their primary education.

I am asking the Taoiseach to provide the necessary adequate funding in the forthcoming budget to enable youth organisations to further develop activity programmes as well as enhancing facilities for our growing young population. Additional resources are also needed for the comprehensive provision of guidance counselling and learning supports for school pupils with special needs.

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