Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am a big advocate of the youth diversion programme because it makes a huge difference. I am familiar with a number of projects, including the TACT project and I have seen the difference it can make. It offers the right interventions at a crucial juncture.

Carrigaline is a town that has grown very rapidly. As recently as the sixties, there were fewer than a thousand people in what was then a village. I checked the census and the population is now 18,239, but what really stood out is that the population aged under 19 years is 5,739. That is 28.4% of the population, which is enormous. There is a huge number of young people in that location. I am sure the soccer clubs like Carrigaline United as well as the GAA and rugby clubs will be rubbing their hands as it is a very positive story for them. In general, it is a very positive story. Carrigaline is a town that has grown very rapidly. Many of the public services and supports were a bit slow in coming in, but they are coming in bit by bit. There have been new schools in recent times and some public transport infrastructure has improved.

It is crucially important that we get youth services right in a town with such a large population. When almost a third of the town is aged under 19 it is going to be absolutely crucial. That comes by a number of different means. The UBU-type projects need to be well resourced and need to have youth workers to go with them. In any town with a population that large, especially of young people, it is going to be important to have a good and active youth diversion project. The project has had some excellent people involved in it, like Michael Collins and Conor Austin. They have been doing great work there. I attended a meeting there about a year and a half ago with our then justice spokesperson, Deputy Kenny, and the team told me about the work they are doing, which is absolutely fantastic, and the work they hope to do. However, they are a bit constrained. The project is currently operating out of a room upstairs in the community centre. The centre is a great facility, but ultimately if we are looking for a project like that to serve such a large population and expand the services it offers to be able to reach more young people, it needs a premises of its own. That is my ask, which is quite reasonable.

It is about taking the opportunity now. Much of the 6,000 or so are at the younger end of the scale. I am sure I could get the breakdown. We need to be investing now to ensure we keep the young people who are potentially at risk on the straight and narrow as best as possible and we ensure they have opportunities to direct them away from crime and antisocial behaviour and direct them in a more positive way. Now is the time to make that investment. It is crucial to support. It would be a far-sighted investment and now is the crucial time to make it. I hope the Minister and the Department will see the opportunity in this and act to give this youth diversion project, the Heron Project, the support it requires.

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