Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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307. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has reviewed international models of one-stop-shop State run support services tailored to young people; if so, how these insights have informed policy development in Ireland; if not, if she intends to do so; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40244/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department acknowledges the importance of engaging young people "where they are”. Action 10 of Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services commits to the development and implementation of a policy for youth spaces at the local level. This action is to be delivered in collaboration between my Department and partners including the education and training boards and local authorities.

At present, my Department supports 21 youth information centres (YICs) nationally. These centres provide young people with a trustworthy source of information on rights, opportunities, health, well-being, welfare and other matters, and are a means by which they can find their way to more specialised help when they need it. In 2025, my Department allocated €1,512,163 in funding for YICs. One of the organisations in receipt of this funding is Spun Out, Ireland’s national youth information website, which provides youth information online including on such matters as mental and sexual health, employment and training. Spun Out also hosts an online youth information chat service. Spun Out receives additional grant funding from my department under the Youth Services Grant Scheme.