David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 162: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress to date on the development of the National Recreation Policy for Young People; when she expects to publish the policy; the funding allocated by her Department in 2006 and 2007 for the development of youth cafés or other youth drop-in centres; her views on the recreation facilities available to young people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6181/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The publication of the National Recreation Policy for Young People has been approved by Government and its launch is expected to take place in the near future. Essentially, the policy provides a strategic framework for the promotion of positive recreational opportunities aimed principally at young people aged 12 to 18. It includes seven core objectives incorporating a series of corresponding actions for priority implementation by various Government Department and Agencies who will have a crucial role to play in their delivery within the overall framework of the national policy.

The policy adopts an evidence-based approach and makes proposals to address issues which emerged from a public consultation process which was undertaken by the Office of the Minister for Children (OMC) to give all interested parties, including young people, a chance to have a say in the development of the policy.

One of the key aspects of the policy is the provision of more recreational facilities and in particular, the establishment of youth cafés, identified by young people as their single biggest need. The policy recognises that youth cafés, similar to the GAF in Galway, offer great potential for providing a wide range of developmental, educational and information programmes to young people and that the provision of such services within these settings will require a cross-Departmental and inter-Agency collaborative approach through a formal partnership process.

Some provision has been made from within the Vote of the Office of the Minister for Children to support the implementation of the policy in its initial stages. Other Departments and Agencies will also have a role to play and details will be made available on publication of the policy.