Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)

I congratulate the young people, families, staff and volunteers at Cabra For Youth, which is a youth service in Cabra founded over 17 years ago that engages with young people and their families. It operates both a mainstream youth service and a justice youth diversion programme. The service engages with young people from eight years of age right up into their early adult years. Last week, Cabra For Youth launched its strategic plan for the next five years. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Butler, for making time to come out to the youth service and launch the plan.I am one of the founding directors of that youth service, going back 17 years, along with other founding directors: Joey Furlong, Paul O' Farrell and Niall Counihan. We have new directors now, including Paul Hennelly, Catriona Kenny and Peter Treanor. I thank everybody who worked on putting together the strategic plan, most particularly the young people and their families and the staff. We have an incredible project leader in Mary Carroll, and Anita Meehan, our administrator, is the glue that holds it all together. They are an example of how, when a community comes together over time, with some funding from the State, it can have a direct impact and effect on young people's lives and the lives of their families, their outcomes and their ability to achieve their full potential.

I am proud to say that, over the past 17 years, a number of young people and their families have come through. None of us goes through life without needing help and support at a certain time. Each one of the young people who have engaged have come for different reasons but they have found in Cabra For Youth a place to be themselves, a safe and friendly space, and a place to make friends, develop relationships and to find out who they are. It is really important but youth work is largely undervalued in our society. I would like us to have a debate in the House on future funding of youth work services. It is very important that it seen not as informal, casual, or nice to have but as an essential in our communities.