Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I was involved in youth organisations and then went on to run a centre in a project that was funded by FÁS where there were 50 young people who otherwise would have dropped out of school who had problems with literacy and numeracy. Most of these young people were referred to us by the Garda because they had dropped out of the main system of education. When we conducted a survey of those young people five years after they had left the centre, over 70% of them were in full-time employment. It proves the point that one size does not fit all. That is why it is so important to have youth organisations and to support youth clubs and the many volunteers who give so much of their time for many years. Many start off thinking that they will contribute for one year and when one comes back ten years later the same ones are still making that valuable contribution.

It is an interest report. It shows youth work has a significant impact. Young people found that it helped them gain practical skills. Over 70% of them felt their involvement in youth clubs assisted them in that way. It is important that we recognise that contribution.

The other figure that stands out relates to how youth work helps to reduce the costs associated with crime and anti-social behaviour. Some 45% felt it had a significant impact. As someone who has practised in the courts, I note that 85% of young people who end up before the courts are not involved in a youth club, youth organisation or sports club. That, in itself, answers all the questions about the importance of youth involvement in sport.

I suppose the big difference between sport and youth organisations is that all the sporting organisations have a source of revenue which the youth clubs and youth organisations do not have. That is why the youth clubs and youth organisations need that vital support from the national level and it is extremely important that this would continue.

Support for youth organisations has come a long way over the past 20 years. While it is a difficult time, it is important that we ensure we get value for money and continue to protect current funding for the next few years and at the same time try to improve the quality and development of the services because they play an important role.

I will mention one issue at which we should look. The JobBridge programme has been used effectively in getting the unemployed back to work. We must recognise that there are over 400,000 people unemployed. Many of them, unfortunately, are unlikely to find suitable employment in the long term. Would the Minister consider creating a pilot project which, initially, would train up to 1,000 unemployed people in the skills required to be involved in youth clubs and youth organisations? If there were 1,000 people engaged under the same procedure as the JobBridge programme involving the payment of an additional allowance, they would provide a vital support at local level where many others would benefit. Perhaps we could develop it to the point where there would be 5,000 unemployed people in that programme. It is something that we should seriously look at in the context of getting more people to give the helping hand that is so badly needed by so many young people in this country, and to the many youth organisations and youth clubs that work so hard. I would ask that such a pilot project would be considered.