Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Seery Kearney. Having worked in youth services previously, I am aware of the work they do. My own children have greatly benefited from youth work and youth services, including LGBTQI services, and they now volunteer with them.

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue, to which I am responding on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. During his time as Minister, there have been significant increases in the level of investment for youth organisations and services. Arising from budget 2025, €84.9 million is being allocated for current and capital expenditure of youth services, an increase in funding of €7 million, or almost 9%, on the 2024 budget. In the period from 2021 to 2025, current Exchequer funding for youth services and programmes will have increased by more than 34%.

The additional funding secured in budget 2025 will support the sustainability of youth organisations, while also expanding youth work service capacity through the funding of new targeted youth services, as the Senator has mentioned. Crucially, the funding secured in budget 2025 will support the implementation of Opportunities for Youth: The National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024-2028. This strategy, which was positively received by the wider youth work sector, sets out Ireland's key ambitions for youth work and related services.It includes a clear set of strategic objectives and 18 priority actions intended to strengthen the role of youth work and related services in the lives of young people.

Funding will also support the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme, which targets disadvantaged young people with evidence-informed interventions and services that secure positive outcomes for young people. The overall allocation for UBU in 2024 was more than €48 million. This scheme will be the subject of a further annual increase in 2025. Additional youth funding that will enable the establishment of a further ten new UBU youth services over the course of next year was secured in budget 2025. These new services will provide targeted, youth-worker-led support to up to 1,000 disadvantaged young people where they are most needed.

Funding through the youth services grant scheme, which supports national youth organisations in delivering quality youth services across the State, will also be increased in 2025. The national youth organisations that support young people in their social and personal development include Foróige, Youth Work Ireland and BeLonG To, to name just three. In addition to increasing the funding provided to the existing national youth organisations, up to €1.5 million in funds has been allocated for the specific purpose of expanding the scheme to include additional national youth organisations during 2024 and 2025.

Furthermore, an additional €650,000 was allocated this year to the volunteer activation fund, which will continue, into 2025, to provide support to national youth organisations in recruiting, retaining and supporting volunteers. Importantly, funding will also be made available for the LGBTI+ youth fund, which will support initiatives that ensure that LGBTI+ young people are visible, included, and treated equally in their communities. This includes enhancing the capacity of youth work services to meet the needs of LGBTI+ young people, whether in dedicated groups or integrated settings, fully aligning with our opportunities for youth strategy.

A new pilot initiative will be implemented in 2025 to support selected youth services in providing meals during school holiday periods. This initiative, which is part of the Government's commitment to tackling holiday hunger, will help feed up to 1,000 young people aged ten to 18 years, who are at risk of not having access to a hot meal or any substantial meal during the official school closure times.

The Minister has also committed to continuing to fund the targeted youth employability support initiative that was launched this year to engage with and support harder-to-reach young people aged 15 to 24 who are not in employment, education or training. This initiative will receive €1 million in funding for 2025.

Capital funding of €1 million will be available for the benefit of young people in 2025, with €500,000 specifically earmarked for upgrading play and recreation facilities.