Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 392: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the sections of the Youth Work Act 2001 which have been commenced to date; and when the remaining sections of the Act will be commenced. [22949/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Youth Work Act provides a legal framework for the provision of youth work programmes and services to be organised by the Minister for Education and Science, the vocational education committees and national and regional youth work organisations. Section 1 of the Act provides for sections to be commenced at different stages. Sections 2 to 7, inclusive, 17, 18 and 24 have been commenced to date.

A sub-committee of the national youth work advisory committee, representative of the statutory and voluntary sectors and my Department, is engaged in ongoing work, including the development of detailed guidelines and procedures necessary for the further implementation of the Act. It is considered essential to have agreement between all the interested parties on the necessary procedures and to have these in place so that further implementation of the Act can take place in a satisfactory and structured manner. My Department is in discussions with the various parties involved. When these are finalised, it is intended to continue the phased implementation of further sections of the Act, as is necessary and appropriate.