Written answers

Wednesday, 25 January 2006

Department of Education and Science

Youth Services

8:00 pm

Photo of Cecilia KeaveneyCecilia Keaveney (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1386: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the status of the introduction of the Youth Work Act 2001; her plans for roll out of more services for young people in 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2371/06]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Youth Work Act 2001 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 major regional youth work organisations. Section 1 of the Act provides for sections to be commenced at different stages. Sections 2 to 7, 17, 18 and 24 have been commenced to date.

My Department, together with youth work interests, both voluntary and statutory, have been developing the groundwork, including detailed guidelines and procedures, which are essential to the further roll-out of the Act in a planned and structured manner. As a priority for 2005, I identified the capacity development of youth work organisations to assist them in preparing themselves organisationally for the implementation of the Act. To this end I established a development fund of €300,000 for youth work organisations specifically for 2005 to help them achieve the new standards for approval and engage effectively with the new structures arising from the Youth Work Act 2001.

Another area to which I attach importance is the capacity development of vocational education committees, VECs, to carry out the responsibilities set out for them in the Act. Discussions which have been ongoing in this regard are at an advanced stage and nearing completion. In addition, significant progress has been made with regard to the appointment of an assessor of youth work with the post advertised in December 2005 and interviews due to commence soon with a view to an early appointment. This post is viewed by all involved in youth work, both in the statutory and voluntary sectors, as an essential step forward.

Another key component for the progression of youth work in Ireland is the national youth work development plan. This plan identifies four main goals and proposes some 50 action points to achieve these goals over a five year period. To date, a number of priority action areas have been addressed. In 2003, €80,000 was spent on the implementation of a child protection training programme for the sector. In 2004 €500,000 was made available for the roll-out of the plan and was spent on further support for the child protection training programme, development of projects funded under the special projects for youth scheme and increased support to youth information centres and the youth information support partnership.

Building on these initiatives, further progress also continues to be made in: the establishment of ten new special projects for disadvantaged youth in 2005; the upgrade of 20 single worker special projects to two worker projects in 2005; review of youth work funding, nearing completion; review of youth information provision, nearing completion; continued support of the child protection training programme; continued support of the development fund for youth work organisations; the successful launch of the joint North-South education and training standards committee in Armagh by the Minister of State with responsibility for youth affairs, Deputy de Valera, and Minister Angela Smith, Department of Education, Northern Ireland; and continued groundwork on the establishment of national youth work development unit in NUI, Maynooth.

It is intended that further sections of the Act will be implemented on a progressive and phased basis as resources, both human and financial, permit. I am confident that the progressive roll-out of the Youth Work Act 2001 will serve to enhance programmes and services for young people at local, regional and national level. Further action areas for development in 2006 and 2007 are being determined by my Department with the advice of the national youth work advisory committee.

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