Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairman; that is very decent. Deputy Healy-Rae, the Minister of State and I are no strangers to the position in which Kerry Life Skills finds itself. We also are aware of the tremendous work it does in delivering social, personal and health education support to primary and secondary school students. It works in partnership with schools, families, communities and other agencies to empower children and young people to make choices and to support their well-being. It provides engaging and dynamic health and well-being support to 144 primary schools as well as to 18 secondary schools in the Kerry, north Cork and west Limerick area. Its service is youth-centred and needs-led. Programmes are evidence-based and are developed through a process of consultation with students, teaching staff, parents and community agencies in the areas on which Kerry Life Skills believes one should focus. It is a mobile service that travels to the heart of the communities it serves.

Kerry Life Skills primarily is self-funded up to the amount of €86,500, and I believe its overall running costs are approximately €170,000. This leaves a shortfall of €83,500 and this must be met by a variety of charitable sources. It receives some funding from local authorities, some corporate sponsorship and contributions from schools as well as benefiting from fund-raising and public donations. Nevertheless, this still leaves the organisation with a shortfall of €83,500. The service it provides is invaluable to young people in particular, both primary and secondary students, who range in age from four up to 19. Neither the Minister of State nor Deputy Healy-Rae nor any Deputy from County Kerry needs any reminder of the work it does there as well as in west Limerick and north Cork. The charity is overseen by a voluntary board of directors who give freely of their time at no cost.

The charity seeks some support from the Government and it would be a great statement in recognition of the work it does and the service it provides were the Government prepared on behalf of the State to make funding available, certainly the outstanding funding of €83,500, which is small money when one considers the great work Kerry Life Skills does for young people. I hope the Minister of State will look upon this matter positively and will have a positive answer for Deputy Healy-Rae and me. I am quite confident the Minister of State has the same ethos of support regarding what Kerry Life Skills is trying to achieve and about making available the financial funding for that. I await his answer.

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