Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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158. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there are plans in place to introduce Traveller-specific UBU funded youth projects in Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21374/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The UBU Your Place Your Space scheme (UBU) is DCEDIY's largest youth funding scheme, targeting marginalised and disadvantaged young people, including young Travellers, aged between 10-24. The scheme currently provides funding to 250 targeted youth services across 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs), with the ETBs co-ordinating delivery of funding to the services in their local area.

There are over 60 UBU services specifically targeting young Travellers across the country, 15 of these services are Traveller-specific youth projects. While there are no Traveller-specific UBU services in Cork, there are 6 UBU projects where Traveller young people have been identified as the target group for the service. A table of these services and their UBU funding allocation is detailed below.

Budget 2025 secured an allocation of €1.2m for 10 new UBU targeted youth services to be opened. The establishment of these new UBU services will provide targeted, youth worker-led youth services to up to 1,000 disadvantaged young people.

Each ETB will be invited to make a submission for a new UBU service in their functional area utilising available demographic data. The 10 submissions that demonstrate the greatest need will be selected to establish a new UBU service.

In addition, my Department is also conducting a comprehensive mapping exercise of the youth services sector, aiming to capture all youth services, both youth worker-led and volunteer-led. The first stage, which involved mapping the 250 projects funded through the UBU scheme, has been completed.

This mapping exercise leverages CSO population data and the Pobal deprivation index to help identify gaps in youth service provision and enable the Department and stakeholders to develop proposals to expand youth service provision where necessary. The mapping exercise will also provide information to young people, their guardians, and teachers on youth services which are available in their communities.

As the Deputy is aware, following the formation of the new Government on the 23 January 2025, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin appointed Deputy Helen McEntee as Minister for Education and Youth, while I was appointed Minister for Children, Disability and Equality. This restructuring requires a transfer of functions between our Departments, with the responsibility for Youth transferring from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to the Department of Education. As a result of this change, the selection process for the new UBU services will be completed under the Department of Education once the Youth function transfers which is due to take place on 1 May 2025.

UBU Services in Cork specifically targeting young Travellers 2025