Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the proposers of the motion on this very important matter. I welcome the Minister and also the visitors in the Gallery. I also take this opportunity to recognise the work of the National Youth Council of Ireland, Youth Work Ireland, Foróige and all the other umbrella groups that keep youth issues in front of us all the time. These umbrella organisations are very effective. That should be noted.

The recently published Indecon report brings into stark relief the work done in the youth work sector in Ireland. The sector is volunteer based. The figures speak for themselves. The report states there are 40,000 volunteers and fewer than 1,400 persons in paid employment. I found the term "paid employment" quite amusing. When something is done for nothing we tend not to put a monetary value on it. I am conscious, for example, of the role of women in the home and the difficulties many women now face because they cannot get adequate pensions. There is often no recognition of volunteer roles. I am delighted to see the report put a monetary value on the work done in the youth sector and that this value is not disputed by the Government in its amendment. There is no argument, therefore, about the monetary importance of the work done in the youth sector.

More than half of those who benefit from youth work programmes come from economically or socially deprived backgrounds.

The former governor of Mountjoy Prison, John Lonergan, has frequently pointed out that the correlation between poverty and social and economic deprivation is incredibly stark in our prisons. It is crucial to recognise the importance of youth work, particularly in economically and socially deprived communities.

The Minister referred to the role of youth work for young people in NEETs. We are in the midst of a serious unemployment crisis, which is severe for young people, in particular. Young men are faring worse than young women. I came across the NEETs categorisation first in the UK. In former coal and steel mining areas in south Wales, there is a significant difficulty with households in which nobody has ever had a job. The cost to the British Treasury of pumping money into this and similar regions in the UK in an effort to address deprivation is extreme. We need to be aware that this is not the way that we want to go and that there is an important role for youth work, particularly among young people who are in crisis in terms of the opportunities available to them.

I welcome the Minister's announcement that she intends to make youth work and supporting youth unemployment Ireland's priority during our EU Presidency in 2013 as she chairs the EU Council of youth Ministers. That is an important strategic decision which I welcome. Youth work does not only provide critical outreach to young people but it also engages them in activities that provide them with invaluable experience in teamwork and leadership, boost motivation and develop skillsets. We need to be able to see that in the context of the funding we make available for education and training. If additional funding must be found to support youth work, we need to look beyond the Department for it.

The amendment intends to go further than the motion and I ask Senator van Turnhout to take it on board in that context. The Minister mentioned a number of initiatives, including the provision of an additional ¤1.5 million for youth cafes and capital projects, which is welcome. It is important to ensure value for money, no unnecessary duplication of services and a reward for bodies that deliver on their strategic objectives. Across the board cuts benefit nobody and we have to be conscious of performance. The Minister has retained the funding for local volunteer schemes, which is also important. During the 1980s, I had the opportunity to work in Darndale and I witnessed the devastation wrought on community services there at the time. Small sums can make a substantial difference to what happens in the community and I ask the Minister to protect such funding in its entirety.