Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I compliment Senator van Turnhout and those who have supported her motion. The Senator has played a significant role in the Seanad on behalf of young people. We all have different specialties but I can see that where the Senator is concerned. As a result, we are getting opportunities to speak on issues which might not arise in the Seanad.

I welcome the Minister. I also listened to her reply on the financial side, and we all understand that as well. It is important for us to realise why we must enable young people to play an active role in society, not only training them. Obviously, training and educating them is an important aspect, but I refer to idea of allowing them take on leadership roles. I am always impressed, for instance, when I look at young people being interviewed on television programmes and see their absolute confidence and the manner in which they can articulate whatever are their particular points. That does not come from school. It is not taken from education in any way. Often it comes from the role and the opportunities which they have had in youth organisations. It is also particularly true when in comes to the farming community that, whether it be Macra na Feirme, Foróige or any of those organisations, some of us are old enough when they were not articulating their own point of view and their particularly industry suffered severely as a result.

Now we can see leadership and I am sure that the same is true of public life.

Many people who have entered public life came from youth organisations where they became aware of important issues. They became aware of how they should have a vision but to try to come up with policies and make recommendations and suggestions. When eventually they decide to put themselves forward for a local council, or even the Oireachtas, they are exceptionally well prepared for the role.

We must take all of these aspects into account when we think of the dreadful phrase "value for money". In this case value for money is very difficult to quantify. We can examine the report and see that for every euro spent now we will save two later. That is true. What would happen if the youth organisations did not exist? I am not saying that all young people would go a certain route. However, we know that the environment in which they grow up is very important. What happens if their environment is more negative than positive? If it is more destructive than constructive? Let us be fair, why could not young people find themselves in such a position? Let us think of the loss and the damage that would follow. It would cost us millions of euro if they are not given the opportunity to appreciate their potential. Self appreciation is their starting point. They must appreciate who they are and of what they are capable. Second, they must use whatever opportunities come their way. There is no shortage of opportunities if young people are given them. We have always had and always will have a generation gap up to a certain point. There is one thing that I am certain of. When young leaders comes to the fore they will have a better chance of influencing their peer groups because they will use the same language and communicate in the same way.

I do not suggest that all of this will change due to a cut in the grants. I believe that people will respond and that is part of what we have been talking about. If the Minister finds a bit of extra money at some point down the road she should remember that young people have made an effort and will make an effort. I do not think she will find much moaning from them because they are not disposed to that. Young people have a huge energy, overcome each problem and handle each challenge. It is important that at times, because they may be short of finance, we take it for granted that they will readapt or whatever. We may do a certain damage to the infrastructure that is in place. I presume that, leading up to the budget, the Minister has consulted all of the youth groups, or with as many as possible, and is aware of where they stand. Senator van Turnhout said at the beginning of the debate that she had hoped that the motion might be debated here before the budget. It might have been helpful but it may not have changed anything. More importantly, we could have made a stronger case if it has not already been done so.

Having looked at the number of organisations and their diversity we should not always say that there are too many organisations. I do not believe there are because youth work is such a big agenda that it must break down into specialties. Whatever about merging other bodies of a different nature, the idea of a merger of youth groups is not necessarily the same as the merger of other bodies. Youth groups already have a particular focus and a merger would create a degree of confusion which I do not think we want to happen.

We should use every opportunity we can to recognise the work done that has been done by youth organisations. We should acknowledge, not reward them. We should award them in public life and we should not take them for granted. They are working in the community where they should be and there is no doubt that of all the groups in the country it is the youth section that has suffered most from unemployment. We must think of the thousands of young people that live far away from Ireland who never wanted to leave. It was never part of their view or dream or that of their parents. We must stem the emigration in whatever way that we can. The Minister should get the message that we will approach the issue in a co-operative way and not by confrontation. I have known the Minister for a long time and we trained her in the Seanad so I know that her heart is in the right place. However, we must keep avenues and lines of communication open, in whatever way that we can, to offset the difficulties that may arise from the reductions in funding.