Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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33. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the new measures he has implemented in the area of youth work and youth employability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38521/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department has made a significant investment in youth services in 2024, building on the increases in recent years and securing the achievements into the future. The current funding for youth services and programmes in my Department this year is €78 million, an increase of €5 million, or 6.8%, on the 2023 budget. From 2020 to Budget 2024, current Exchequer funding for youth services and programmes increased from almost €62 million to €78 million, a 26% increase overall.

In addition to providing increases under the existing funding schemes, my Department has introduced a number of new measures in 2024. €1 million is being allocated to the new Targeted Youth Employability Support Initiative, which focusses on supporting young people furthest from the labour market to participate in the workforce or in education or training.

My Department has also established an additional funding line to allow youth organisations not currently funded under the Youth Services Grant Scheme, which is currently undergoing reform, to apply for funding for universal youth services open to all young people between 10 and 24 years old. This will enable more young people to benefit from youth opportunities. More than 1 million in grant awards will be announced under this scheme in the coming weeks.

Moreover, in order to address the key issue of recruitment and retention of volunteers in youth organisations already funded by the Youth Services Grant Scheme, I have allocated funding to support a new initiative called the Volunteer Activation Fund. This scheme is designed to provide additional support to youth service providers who offer universal youth services, thereby increasing the number of volunteers in the youth sector and the number of volunteer-led clubs operating across the country. €812,500 is being made available by my Department across 2024 and 2025 to support impactful projects to meet these objectives.

In 2024, I have also made €1.3 million available to organisations who support LGBTI+ people. As part of this, a total of €400,000 is being made available by my Department across this year and next to support impactful projects working with LGBTI+ young people. The LGBTI+ Youth Fund supports initiatives that make a difference in ensuring LGBTI+ young people are visible, included, treated equally, healthy, and safe in their communities.

Last month, I launched Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024-2028. This is a new national strategy on youth work and related services which provides a clear vision, strategic objectives, and priority actions to guide a collective approach to developing youth work services over the coming years. The strategy is guided by the overall vision that ‘all young people in Ireland are able to reach their full potential and positively shape their own future’.

Opportunities for Youth, as well as ongoing development of the State's chief youth funding schemes, will provide a platform to continue to enhance youth service delivery in Ireland.