Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1843. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will give detailed consideration to the issues raised by a national organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19430/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Youth Work Ireland’s ‘Youth Work for All’ campaign aligns with my Department’s new national strategy for youth work and related services ‘Opportunities for Youth’ which was launched in September 2024.

Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024 – 2028 is centred on the diverse needs, perspectives and interests of young people, and takes a strategic, data-driven, and joined-up approach to the delivery of youth work services. Its vision is that all young people in Ireland are able to reach their full potential and positively shape their own future. Youth work services funded by the Department have an important role to play in this goal by creating spaces for young people of all backgrounds where they can belong and thrive.

To achieve this vision, Opportunities for Youth is guided by three Strategic Objectives:

Strategic Objective 1: The role of youth work services in enhancing the lives of young people is strengthened, more visible and better aligned with other services.

Strategic Objective 2: An equality and rights-based approach is embedded across all youth work services and supporting structures.

Strategic Objective 3: Youth work services are high quality, accountable, sustainable and shaped by relevant data and evidence.

Since its publication in September 2024, work has been underway on implementing several actions for which the Department is the lead, including the Workforce Development Plan and the mapping of services.

My officials have also started to develop the implementation approach to support the delivery of agreed actions and ensure effective mainstreaming of strategic objectives. The implementation approach will be reviewed and finalised once the transfer of functions has been completed.

It is essential to ensure adequate funding of this important sector to give all young people the opportunity to participate in a youth work service or support in their area. To ensure this, my Department has been implementing significant reform of youth funding schemes in recent years. The ongoing reform of the Youth Services Grant Scheme (YSGS) will ensure that this scheme continues to support a diverse and responsive youth sector in a manner which is compliant with current public sector funding allocation and oversight procedures. As part of this reform process, YSGS funding was awarded to five additional youth organisations in 2024, bringing the total number of funded youth organisations under the YSGS to 35.

Arising from Budget 2025, €84.4m 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, while also expanding youth work service capacity through the funding of new targeted youth services. Funding will support the UBU Your Place Your Space funding scheme which targets disadvantaged young people with evidence-informed interventions. In addition, I have secured new funding which will provide for the establishment of a further 10 new UBU services. These services will provide targeted youth worker-led support for up to 1,000 disadvantaged young people where they are most needed.

In addition, a new pilot initiative will be implemented in 2025 as part of the Government’s commitment to tackling Holiday Hunger. This programme 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.

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.

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.