Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This strategy's reliance on punitive measures raises concerns about potential infringements of the rights of young individuals. Excessive emphasis on punishment may lead to the over-criminalisation of young people, disproportionately affecting marginalised and disadvantaged communities, but I want to speak about County Kerry and what we do for young people there. I commend services such as the Kerry Diocesan Youth Service, which operates out of Killarney, Tralee and other locations. It takes care of young people and organises youth events.

I thank all the people in the GAA who are engaging with and involving young people in football and hurling. I thank and compliment those behind the schools programme, through which youths play basketball and run and participate in sports of all codes. There are boxing clubs for young people. I encourage all this activity because we must encourage young people to be busy, whether it is through part-time work, sport or helping their parents and grandparents. We were always told that the worst thing in the world for any person, young or old, is to be idle.

It leads to the devil's work, and I really believe that.

I would love to see the people and our youngsters being kept busy and active, and I thank and compliment - all around the Ring of Kerry, mid-Kerry, east, north and south Kerry - all the people who devote their lives to working with young people, and I mean the people who do the voluntary work with them. They are doing a great service, and they are instilling different interests in our young people. I know that the young people in Kerry who I meet are great young people, but what they need is a bit of direction in life.

One thing I would say then which is very important is about SUSI grants. I hate to see young people being punished for working by their money being taken into account. There were changes made, but it is not enough. We have a situation where instead of encouraging young people to work part-time, they are nearly afraid at this stage, in case it will hurt and infringe their parents when they are applying for SUSI grants. Encourage young people and give them latitude, and that is the right way to go about it.

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