Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Finglas Youth Resource Centre has been a force in the Finglas area for almost 20 years, during which time the centre has been empowering young people in the Finglas community by giving them opportunities to learn and grow as valued members of the community. The centre provides young people aged between ten and 25 with a safe and welcoming space where they have opportunities to grow and be themselves, allow them to grow in confidence, reach their potential and build on their own individual strengths. It is a registered charity and is fully compliant with the Charities Regulator's governance code. The centre is primarily funded through the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth's service, UBU Your Place Your Space. The centre aims to deliver outcomes for young people guided by the UBU service requirements. It receives some funding from Léargas and other agencies which goes towards the delivery of target-based programmes, including youth exchanges and residentials.

There is no doubt about the commitment of those who work for the centre. This is more than just a job for them. It is almost a vocation for many who work in such youth services. They are passionate about providing young people with the skills and opportunities to become positive citizens in the community. Each year, the Finglas Youth Resource Centre has been given a service requirement from the Department, which sets for the resource centre a service target of a maximum of 200 people under three target groups based on the specific electoral districts. There are over 12,000 children and young people under the age of 24 living in these electoral districts. Each of these districts have areas that range from quite low on deprivation scores to disadvantaged to very disadvantaged. It is well recognised that some of these areas contain some of the most disadvantaged electoral divisions in north Dublin.

Research and engagement with the various stakeholders consulted for the overall area of Finglas helped to identify a number of issues from which the centre sets its various targets. The first targeted group is young people who are experiencing intergenerational economic, cultural and educational disadvantage. A second target group consists of young people experiencing issues relating to their general mental health, including anxiety, trauma and stress, and those at risk of bullying. A third target group is young people with additional needs relating to inclusivity. A fourth target group relates to young people affected by issues linked to substance misuse by family members, personal drug use, drug dealing and drug deaths. The final group is young people aged 16 to 24 who are not involved in education.

For 2024, this is all now being condensed into three target groups addressing the same issues and needs. Since the economic downturn of 2008, funding has not been restored. In 2007, the centre received an overall allocation of €662,827. Sixteen years later, its allocation was €628,506. The centre has also lost staff due to the lack of proper funding. For example, it no longer has a youth service manager or administrator. The centre is down on five full-time positions. This is leading to people taking on roles and extra work, which is greatly affecting the well-being of the staff and the proper functioning of the centre. The centre has long waiting lists and the staff are trying to cope with the volume of young people who need the services of the centre. While they were required to work with 200 young people, they in fact worked with more than 550 young people. This centre needs to be properly resourced and funded. It is hugely successful centre and an invaluable resource for the youth of Finglas.

See this speech in context