Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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332. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current restrictions covering youth clubs. [55331/21]

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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333. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if updated guidelines will be published for youth groups. [55332/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 332 and 333 together.

The Department has worked with youth services throughout the duration of the ongoing pandemic to ensure that young people, especially those who are vulnerable, continue to receive necessary supports to the greatest degree possible. Services continue to be delivered in a variety of ways, some remotely, some outdoors when weather permits, and many indoors, with strict regard to public health guidance, using multiple pods, each pod consisting of a maximum of 6 young people.

I am aware of the challenges to youthwork of being restricted to pods of six young people and I have raised this with my Government colleagues.  I hope to see further easing of restrictions soon, be it with continued strict adherence to public health guidelines.

The Department has worked closely with key youth sector representatives to provide sector-specific guidance in line with the Government’s Resilience & Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 and Reframing the Challenge: Continuing our Recovery and Reconnecting to ensure that young people continue to be supported in a manner consistent with evolving public health guidance and to address other issues arising in the sector as a result of Covid-19. 

For full information on the current guidance for Youth Work Organisations please see the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/58393-guidance-for-youth-organisations-on-resuming-full-services-after-covid-19/

As we begin to move beyond the pandemic, I am committed to supporting this important sector, which has enormous value to the many young people involved and from a broader social and economic viewpoint.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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334. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if consideration will be given to the easing of restrictions in relation to the reopening of youth organisation meetings as a matter of urgency; if additional funding will be allocated to these largely voluntary groups in order to address the loss of socialisation for young adults; if measures will be put in place to ensure that such outlets for young adults will be treated the same as school settings for the purposes of Covid-19 regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55365/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Department has worked with youth services throughout the duration of the ongoing pandemic to ensure that young people, especially those who are vulnerable, continue to receive necessary supports to the greatest degree possible. Services continue to be delivered in a variety of ways, some remotely, some outdoor when weather permits, and some, with strict regard to public health guidance, through indoor work using multiple pods, each pod made up of a maximum of six young people.

The Department has worked closely with key youth sector representatives to provide sector-specific guidance in line with the Government’s Resilience & Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 and Reframing the Challenge: Continuing our Recovery and Reconnecting to ensure that young people continue to be supported in a manner consistent with evolving public health guidance and to address other issues arising in the sector as a result of Covid-19.

For full information on the current guidance for Youth Work Organisations please see the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/58393-guidance-for-youth-organisations-on-resuming-full-services-after-covid-19/

Through the Department's engagement with key youth sector representatives, my officials are aware that youth services are having difficulties in conducting indoor youth activities in pods of 6 for groups with mixed vaccination status. Taking into account the benefits of youth services for this vulnerable cohort, I have raised the issue at cabinet level seeking an expansion to the numbers allowed in pods.

To support the delivery of necessary face-to-face supports to young people who are vulnerable, at risk or in crisis, youth service delivery has been explicitly recognised as an essential service under the most recent set of Covid-related Regulations, as provided for by S.I. No. 4 of 2021 Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 10) (Amendment) Regulations 2021.

Funding for the provision of targeted youth services is administered on behalf of my Department by the Education and Training Boards (ETBs), which allocate funding via applications to the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme.  Youth Clubs which may require additional funding should contact their local ETB for further information and assistance. I also provide annual funding for universal youth services through the Youth Services Grant Scheme to 30 national youth organisations.

My Department has maintained funding to youth work services throughout the pandemic and I have been pleased to announce an additional €5m in funding in Budget 2021 and Budget 2022. In 2020 I announced an additional small capital grant scheme for services to assist with the extra costs incurred by COVID-19.

As we begin to move beyond the pandemic, I am committed to supporting this important sector, which has enormous value to the many young people involved and from a broader social and economic viewpoint.