Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd to the House,and I know he is responding on behalf of the relevant Minister. Last week my colleague, Councillor Mícheál Mac Donncha and I met the Kilbarrack youth project outside the gates of Leinster House, protesting at the cuts that have been imposed on their project that has been in operation for almost 20 years.

A recent meeting of the City of Dublin Youth Services Board has led the board members to believe they can no longer function or carry on the work, given the drastic decreases in funding in recent years. This particular project has worked over the past 20 years with more than 500 young people from an area of economic, social and educational disadvantage. They have faced the issues that are common to many other disadvantaged areas - drug addiction, teenage drinking and essentially a very disaffected youth population. Between 70 and 90 young people attend the project every week for peer education, health and sexual health education, sports, art, drama and leadership courses, which are pivotal for these young people. The staff have told us that the work of the centre and the voluntary commitment of the young people in the past 20 years has made this a more settled area. They are now faced with the closure of the project. The reality of what is happening to the project is not the exception but is fast becoming the rule across youth services throughout the State.

I have met many of those in the youth services sector in the course of the work I am conducting. At a time of mass youth unemployment and educational opportunities that are out of reach for many young people, the funding for youth opportunity should not be decreasing and should in fact be increasing. I know the Government held a referendum on children and has set up the Child and Family Agency but at the same time it is cutting key supports such as supports for youth services. Youth services across the State give young people a positive focus and are undoubtedly helping to keep many away from the anti-social behaviour, addiction and homelessness that are plaguing society.

The youth groups feel that Government is culling and dismissing them by stripping away these valuable services from areas that need as much funding and resources as possible. What is worse is that the young people we met outside Leinster House in hurricane weather conditions in which one would not put out a dog believe their independence is being taken away by these cuts.

In the context of community and wider society, all evidence shows that investment in youth services is money well spent, and it is widely accepted that these services provide for value for money. An Indecon report published last year found that every €1 invested in youth work saves the State €2.20 in the long run. We cannot shirk our responsibility in this regard. At a time of cuts, we must bear in mind these statistics as they go to the core of evidence-based policy-making.

It is important to highlight that cuts to youth services apply not only to the young people who attend youth clubs but will also impact on the structure and cohesion of local communities. It is short-sighted to continue with these cuts. Projects in areas such as Kilbarrack are important for the fabric of the community. It is illogical to get rid of them. It became clear in my recent discussions with young people and youth groups that these are frequently the only services provided by the State that enjoy the trust of young people. They work for young people irrespective of their circumstances and in a non-prejudicial manner. As such, they offer a vehicle for young people to develop into confident adults. The Government has a duty to protect rather than cut youth services.

The Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, stated earlier this week that youth employment is the wind beneath the wings of extremism, which is on the increase. A recent report found that young people are not engaging with the European Union election process. If young people feel disenfranchised and believe the system is not working for them, they will become disengaged and refuse to vote. If we invest in services for the young or provide a youth guarantee, they will engage more with society. As the Indecon report emphasised, social structures are extremely important for the community, society and economy.