Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. I welcome the motion and commend the Independent Senators who tabled it and acknowledge the work done by Senator Jillian van Turnhout in the area of youth work. I congratulate the Minister on the success of the children's referendum. It was a great day not only for the children of Ireland but the people of Ireland when the referendum was passed. We are in a new situation as regards the rights of children in the State.

Like Senator van Turnhout I have benefited greatly from youth work and youth organisations. I am grateful to Haggardstown youth club which made me who I am for better or worse and keeping me on the right path. My enjoyment of it was somewhat circumscribed by the fact that it was run by my older brother. I note the presence of many people from Louth with Senator Terry Brennan, two of whom are young men who also benefited from youth work in their time. It is true that youth work plays a significant role in supporting young people to be active citizens. Any investment in youth work has important long-term benefits.

I acknowledge also the vital role played by 1,400 youth workers in that sector, plus the 40,000 volunteers. It is said that the age of volunteerism is over, I do not agree with that as there are more than 40,000 volunteers involved in youth work.

I draw to the Minister's attention, as part of the European year of active aging 2012, an inter-generational volunteering project launched in Louth today. I wish to speak also to the youth workers here today because this project was organised by Louth volunteer centre under Mr. John Cottrell, its development manager. It involved pairing 68 younger people, that is, students from the local schools and colleges with 62 active older volunteers who volunteer in local charitable organisations. To shadow them, one of their shift covered during the inter-generational volunteering week in October 2012. The post survey results show an increase in the number of students with a more positive perception of the older people making a significant contribution in the local community, compared to 14% before the project. Some 73% of respondents rated their experience during the project as very beneficial and 100% of students said they would consider volunteering in future. That is significant because youth work can be a two-way project. If we have young people working with older people the outcomes are significant.

I am aware of a 20% reduction in funding since 2008 which we all regret. We would all like if there was more money but as part of the effort to address Ireland's deficit the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the same as all other Departments, has had to find savings. We have an unsustainable budgetary deficit as regards public spending. This would have had to be tackled regardless of the banking crisis. I do not wish to be over-critical but previous Governments threw money around like snuff at a wake, based on unsustainable income from such sources as stamp duty. It is the solemn task of the Government to restore the public finances to good order for our young people.