Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is clear that criminal activity among young people is on the rise but that did not happen in a vacuum. With increased reports of theft, fraud and sexual offences by teenagers aged 12 to 17 years of age, more needs to be invested in our young people to engage with them instead of treating them as social pariahs. Last week, I visited the Lough na Mona community centre in Leixlip, which is supported by In Sync. Lough na Mona is a council estate in a very affluent area in Leixlip. Supported by Kildare County Council, the youth workers, Mars and Zoe, are doing incredible work engaging with young people and providing a space for them to cook, meet, play pool and DJ. The are also educating them about the challenges they will face in the future such as the harm of drugs, the importance of consent and practical things like the difficulty of transitioning between primary school and secondary school.

I was told that upon its founding, local people it would not last more than a year and the young people would either burn it down or rob it. The centre has proved that if you treat young people with respect and give them a space of their own, they can be leaders in their own community. Three years later, they have seen incredible work, interest and engagement from the young people in the centre. They have been blessed by the flaithiúlacht of local enterprise in the area and financial support, but that support is not guaranteed. The Government needs to support youth community centres, like the one in Lough na Mona, and build more across north Kildare.

Unfortunately, we have too many people who are in jail today where neurodiversity was never assessed and they were let down by the system. Kids believed they stupid because of who they were and it led them to drugs and crime. We have to invest in our special education system as well. I have just come from an emotionally charged meeting in the audiovisual room - I am sure the Deputies will hear about it at their parliamentary party meetings today. Some of the parents said they did not want their children, who were neurodiverse, to end up institutionalised, but it is our job to make sure they do not end up in jail.

Investing in sports facilities, arts programmes and community spaces in working class areas and communicating with our young people can give them a purpose and a sense of belonging and ownership because they are equal citizens in this State. We have to address the economic inequality and create a just society. Mar a deir an seanfhocal, mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí.

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