Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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15. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department will consider a new capital programme for new community youth facilities in areas in which no such facilities exist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59374/21]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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This question relates to how we could provide more facilities in our communities. I am conscious that our towns and villages are full of derelict buildings that potentially could be renovated and made available for young people as youth cafes or centres where young people could go and hang out to have some place to go on weekend nights. Many towns and villages around the State do not have those facilities at the moment.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department works very closely with young people and representatives of organisations serving young people to make decisions around the prioritisation of available Exchequer funding. Their input in recent years has greatly informed budgetary decisions. For the past number of years, the annual capital budget available to youth services has been approximately €3 million. Decisions on the allocation of these funds are made based on an assessment of need at a given time and the consultations I have referenced. The funding is distributed among more than 30 national youth organisations, over 250 funded UBU Your Place Your Space youth services, and more than 1,500 youth clubs funded by my Department.

At present, youth clubs and services are largely operating from shared community facilities, their own premises or rented accommodation. This reflects, for many, the age profile of young people being served which is schoolgoing, and the part-time requirements for accommodation.

In recent years, capital funding for physical infrastructure has been provided in relation mainly to minor works, equipment, ICT and as a contribution to local authorities for the development of playground facilities. In 2020 and 2021, works to adapt outdoor spaces, ventilation, sanitary upgrades and other Covid-19 related refurbishments were eligible for funding. This enabled both the move to increase our online working with young persons and to create suitable spaces for meeting in person. The capital allocation for 2022 will be finalised over the coming weeks.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate the work that is going on and good work being done.

There is an opportunity in respect of towns and villages throughout the country, where there are many derelict buildings. There is a massive opportunity from a housing perspective but also to provide the types of buildings and facilities we know are needed. I refer in particular to former pubs and shops. Our towns and villages are dotted with such buildings that are boarded up. Community organisations are there and, with a capital injection, they will run those places and make them available. The capital injection is the key to joining the dots. That would be a very ambitious and progressive programme.

As I said earlier, we need a collaboration with sporting organisations in respect of the sports capital programme for organisations that want to provide youth-specific spaces in their clubs and facilities. It would be money wisely invested and we would not have to reinvent the wheel. Many of the social organisations are there, as is the infrastructure. It just needs a capital injection.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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We are always looking to support innovative and co-operative work with youth organisations and other sectors as well. My capital budget in this area is not huge - I have to be upfront about that - and much of it at the moment is being spent on supporting existing services and maintenance. Many of the buildings in youth services are old and we are backing them up. What I have been able to grow quite significantly over the past two years is our current budget. Almost the opposite to what the Deputy was saying, perhaps we could get local authorities or something along those lines to examine buildings or derelict sites they have identified where there could be co-operation. We have additional current funding to start running services. Six new UBU services were set up this year and I hope we can get eight next year through the additional €5 million we have invested in youth services. There are ways for people to work together and I am always happy to engage on those points.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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It is important to acknowledge the Department of Rural and Community Development and what it is planning to do with former bank buildings and other such facilities to create innovation hubs and spaces that are beneficial to communities. Young people should not be left behind and should be included in those plans. There is a strong case for that Department to get additional capital funding to help, either solely or in a collaborative way, to provide those types of facilities. Whether it is done through that Department or through some sort of a formal collaboration with the Department of Rural and Community Development or even local government, getting spaces for young people to hang out, have somewhere to go and be safe is really important in every town and village. There are many towns and villages throughout the country where young people do not have anywhere to go. They hang out on street corners and, inevitably, end up in trouble. Having those spaces to go to and to be safe in is very important.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I concur with Deputy Griffin's final point. Throughout the country, there are youth organisations that have nowhere to go. Has the Department considered engaging schools that are closed? Some of them, which often have fantastic facilities the State has paid for, lie idle at night and on weekends, when young people could use them. Throughout the country, in towns and villages, they are there. Will the Minister give some thought to that and engage with schools? It would not cost a lot.

Minibuses are something youth organisations keep telling me they would like to have to get out of the club and into the countryside. Is there a fund through which they can apply to get that kind of facility?

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I agree with all that has been said. Whether it is through the Minister’s Department or whatever, we need an audit of buildings that are lying idle in order to determine which of them can be used better. We need also to build in the wider question of those youth supports and an audit of those projects and services that operate and where the gaps are. I have said previously to the Minister that we need to deal with those absolutely necessary family supports. That is a vital matter. At times really good projects have been in operation but their remit has been widened and we have lost the thrust. I will continue that conversation later with the Minister.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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I support the thrust of this question. The one thing we have learned from Covid is that we are going to do things differently. We have seen that young people need supports, particularly after Covid. Unfortunately, we could be living with Covid for a long time, so we need to enhance facilities, schools, GAA and soccer clubs. I have noticed in my community that many of the youth facilities finish at 5 p.m. and do not operate in the evenings, at night or at weekends. That is when young people need to be engaged with. The derelict sites levy is not being enforced by the local authorities. It is the tool to force these landlords to use those buildings, and youth facilities could be a part of that.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department has strongly supported young people throughout the pandemic with a range of supports, in particular financially. We provided an additional €5 million in both budget 2021 and budget 2022. We have continued to provide those financial supports in order that we can have more services. I visited the Kilkenny and Ossory youth services, based in Kilkenny city. Under its UBU, it has a mandate to provide rural youth services in a range of towns and villages throughout rural County Kilkenny. There is a model there.

I fully agree on the point about the use of idle buildings. I am happy to engage with any local authorities or the Department of Rural and Community Development.

Deputy Stanton might revert to me on the transport issue and we can speak about it separately, if that is okay.