Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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950. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth whether she agrees that multi-annual funding should be introduced for the youth work sector in order to enable multi-year planning and continuity of youth work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2639/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Exchequer funding for youth services is currently allocated on an annual basis following the annual budgetary process. My Department is obliged to adhere to the public sector spending code, and therefore it is not currently possible to enter into multi-annual funding agreements with youth organisations funded by my Department.

However, to support funded organisations to have greater certainty of funding on a multi-annual basis, the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme, which is the largest youth funding scheme funded by my Department with €50 million in funding for 2025, approval in principle is provided for funding for each three year cycle of the scheme. A renewal of funding application is required on an annual basis to comply with the Governmental budgetary process to affirm the annual allocation provided to each funded organisation.

The Targeted Youth Employment Support Initiative operates on a similar basis with three year funding provided in principle for services, with an annual renewal of funding within that period.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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951. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1068 of 9 April 2024, to outline the progress on the development of a ‘workforce development plan for the youth sector, to support the recruitment and retention of staff and volunteers in the sector’ as committed to by her predecessor (details supplied). [2640/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Youth workers are central to the delivery of youth services. The relationships which young people develop with their youth workers can be transformative in a young person's life.

As outlined in Action 7 of Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2023-2028, my Department has committed to producing a Workforce Development Strategy in respect of the youth work sector, to support the recruitment and retention of staff in the sector. The Strategy will include consideration of training needs and the requirement for high-quality, accessible and inclusive youth services. The first step has been to develop a workforce survey, which was issued to the youth work sector in 2024 to establish baseline data and information on the workforce. The data and information is currently being analysed.

The next step will be to carry out consultations with a broad range of stakeholders to inform the development of the Strategy, including youth workers, youth organisations, and providers of youth work education and training. Officials will continue to engage with the youth sector throughout the development of the Strategy.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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952. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason employer pension contributions are not included in eligible costs for the youth service grant scheme pilot; whether she agrees that pension costs should be included as an eligible cost given that youth work is experiencing a recruitment and retention crisis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2641/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for the question. The scheme rules and guidance documentation for the Youth Services Grant Scheme pilot which opened in 2024 do not exclude pension costs as possible staff costs. It is a matter for applicant organisations to identify the staff costs necessary to their application. As the Deputy may be aware, the applicant organisations are the employers and determine the terms and conditions offered to staff.

In recognition of the need for continued investment in young people and the youth sector, my Department has secured a 9% increase in youth service funding for 2025, bringing my Department's investment under our main youth budget subhead to a total of €84.9 million. This funding will strengthen the ability of youth organisations to meet present challenges, including challenges of recruitment and retention of staff.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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953. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the capital funding being made available to the youth work sector in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2642/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Arising from Budget 2025, €84.9m will be allocated for current and capital expenditure for the benefit of young people, an increase in funding of €7 million, or almost 9%, on the 2024 budget. Over the period from 2021 to 2025, the level of current Exchequer funding for youth services and programmes will have increased by over 34%.

Capital funding of €1.0m has been allocated for the benefit of young people throughout 2025. Of this funding, €0.5m is specifically earmarked for the upgrading of playgrounds and recreational facilities.

The remaining €0.5m will be made available to new UBU services, which are due to be established in 2025, and to the National Youth Organisations to support the purchase of essential equipment and the completion of minor works.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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954. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide details of the budget allocation for youth work and youth affairs in 2025; how the funding is being allocated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2643/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Arising from Budget 2025, €84.9m has been allocated for current and capital expenditure for the benefit of young people, an increase in funding of €7 million, or almost 9%, on the 2024 budget. Over the period from 2021 to 2025, the level of current Exchequer funding for youth services and programmes will have increased by over 34%.

The additional funding secured in Budget 2025 will support the sustainability of youth organisations, whilst also expanding youth work service capacity through the funding of new targeted youth services.

Funding secured in Budget 2025 will support the implementation of Opportunities for Youth: The National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024-2028. This strategy includes a clear set of strategic objectives and 18 priority actions intended to strengthen the role of youth work and related services in the lives of young people in Ireland.

Funding will also support the UBU Your Place Your Space funding scheme which targets disadvantaged young people with evidence-informed interventions. Funding is being provided for the establishment of a further 10 new UBU youth services and these new services will provide targeted youth worker-led support to up to 1,000 disadvantaged young people where they are most needed.

Funding through the Youth Services Grant Scheme which supports national youth organisations in delivering quality youth services across the State will also be increased in 2025 for the specific purpose of expanding the scheme to include additional national youth organisations across 2024 and 2025.

Funding of €650,000 has been allocated in 2024 to the Volunteer Activation Fund, which will continue into 2025, providing additional support to national youth organisations in recruiting, retaining and supporting volunteers.

Importantly, funding will also be made available for the LGBTI+ Youth Fund, which will support initiatives that ensure that LGBTI+ young people are visible, included, and treated equally in their communities, fully aligning with our Opportunities for Youth Strategy.

In addition, a new pilot initiative will be implemented in 2025 as part of the Government’s commitment to tackling Holiday Hunger. This initiative will help feed up to 1,000 young people aged 10 to 18 years, who are at risk of not having access to a hot meal or any substantial meal during the official school closure times.

I remain committed to continuing the roll-out of the Targeted Youth Employability Support Initiative which was launched in 2024 to engage and support harder to reach young people aged 15-24 who are not in employment, education or training. This initiative will receive over €1m in funding for 2025.

In addition, capital funding of €1 million will be available for the benefit of children and young people in 2025, with €500,000 specifically earmarked for upgrading play and recreation facilities.

A breakdown of the proposed distribution of funding for 2025 under the various youth funding lines and grant schemes is provided in the tables below.

2025 €83.898m Current

2025 €1.0m Capital

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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955. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total capital funding allocation for youth work within each budget per year from 2009 to 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2644/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department was established in 2011 and I can provide the Deputy with information relating to the capital allocations for the period 2011 to 2025.

*On Budget Day an additional stimulus package in the form of an ICT Investment Capital Grant 2020 was announced to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 and an €1.1m funding package was provided on a once-off basis to the youth sector ICT infrastructure and the funding provided was to support improvement to ICT infrastructure in youth services to improve the provision of online youth services to young people during the duration of the pandemic.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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956. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total current funding allocation for youth work within each budget per year from 2009 to 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2645/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The annual breakdown of the current funding allocation per budget provided by the Department for youth organisations and services under the sectoral programme for children and young people within subhead B06 -Youth Organisations and Services is set out in the table below. My Department was established in 2011 and consequently the funding allocations are provided for the period 2011 to 2025

In addition to the funding allocation provided above under B06, additional grant funding has also been made available for youth services under subheads C05 (Youth Climate Justice & Big Brother Big Sister), B08 (Dormant Account Funding), B09 (Peace and Reconciliation), and E05 (Ukraine Grant Funding).

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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957. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total allocation to each youth work funding scheme per year for the years 2014 to 2025, or from when the funding scheme was introduced if later than 2014, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2646/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The annual breakdown of the current funding allocation per budget line provided by the Department for youth organisations and services under the sectoral programme for children and young people within subhead B06-Youth Organisations and Services is set out in the tables below for the period 2014 to 2025.

B06 Funding (Current) for Youth Organisations and Services.

2025 €83.898m

2024 €77.95m

2023 €72.95m

2022 €71.80m

2021 €66.80m

2020 €61.80m

2019 €59.350m

2018 €57.938m

2017 €57.40m

2016 €51.90m

2015 €49.90m

2014 €49.80m

In addition to the funding allocation provided above under B06, additional grant funding has also been made available for youth services under subheads C05 (Youth Climate Justice & Big Brother Big Sister), B08 (Dormant Account Funding), B09 (Peace and Reconciliation), and E05 (Ukraine Grant Funding).