Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 45: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress on the implementation of the Youth Work Act 2001; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19911/06]

Síle de Valera (Clare, 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 regional youth work organisations. Section 1 of the Act provides for sections to be commenced at different stages, and to date Sections 2-7, 17, 18 and 24 have been commenced.

As I advised the House in April, a sub-committee of the National Youth Work Advisory Committee, representative of both statutory and voluntary sectors as well as my Department, has been steadily progressing the groundwork, including the development of detailed guidelines and procedures, which are vital for the further rollout of the Act in a planned and structured manner. The work of this sub-committee is continuing.

It is my intention that the additional €2.839m secured in 2006 for the main funding line for the youth work sector will be used to develop the youth work service in a strategic manner and will include the progressive roll out of the Youth Work Act 2001. The resourcing of VECs, including the appointment of Youth Work Officers, to carry out the functions set out for them under the Act has been agreed in principle by my Department and the IVEA. My Department is currently finalising the detail involved. This will be a significant step forward which will allow for the development of local youth work plans and ensure co-ordination of youth work programmes and services in the area with education and other programmes for young people.

I identified the capacity development of voluntary youth work organisations to assist them in preparing themselves organisationally for the implementation of the Act as a priority for 2005. To this end I established a Development Fund to help ensure that youth work organisations can achieve the new standards for approval and engage effectively with the new structures arising from the Youth Work Act 2001. Some 30 national and major regional youth organisations received once-off grants amounting to over €300,000 to help develop their ICT capacity in 2005. I am making similar funding available to national and major voluntary youth work organisations in 2006 and my Department is currently discussing priority areas for development with the various youth work interests.

This work, together with other policy and developmental areas including the appointment of an Assessor of Youth Work, the establishment of the National Youth Work Development Unit, and the establishment of a North South Education and Training Standards Committee for Youth Work, will help us build an excellent service that is responsive to the needs of all young people.