Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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729. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills how she intends to implement Action 50 of the Education Plan 2025, which reinforces the emphasis on inclusive decision-making and representation of young people who face barriers to participation; how she intends to do this in the context of the role of youth work; what funding is available for youth work organisations to support young people to participate in decision-making; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58483/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services is the strategic framework for the youth work sector, published in September 2024. The purpose of the strategy is to provide a platform for an effective, data-driven, and joined-up approach to the delivery of youth work and related services.

The implementation of the strategy is being reported on via the Young Ireland governance structures. The implementation of this strategy and the cooperation of all relevant actors will be supported through a new National Youth Sector Reference Group as well as a group comprising representatives from Departments and agencies that provide funding to or interact with the youth sector.

The establishment of the National Youth Sector Reference Group is being informed by a process of stakeholder mapping and will focus on the design of a consultative forum, from 2026 onwards, that will concentrate on the identification of policy priorities, outputs, and outcomes. The Group will include representatives from across the youth sector, including academics and youth representatives. This will support a balanced and transparent input from across the wider youth sector into national decision-making. A key pillar of this will be the representation of the views of young people, including young people of diverse backgrounds, so that they can influence decision-making in respect of youth work services.