Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This leisure card could be used for sport, dance, music, art or some other enriching pursuit. The voucher would be used via a designated website that lists providers who are trained and approved for youth development. That would ensure not only quality control and mentoring through what is being offered, but also that the money circulates in the local community, boosting the after-school sector. It has been transformative in Iceland and, as I said, the research shows that the money invested would come back. As we know, given the current cost of living crisis, there are many families and working parents who, with childcare costs, mortgages and so on, cannot afford to pay for extracurricular classes. There are also many families who just cannot afford it full stop. In the long term, the benefits far outweigh the costs involved. If every child had access to that voucher, they would be engaging in extracurricular activities and would find their forte. The benefits of that speak for themselves.

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