Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The department supports the delivery of youth services nationwide. Arising from Budget 2025, €84.9 million has been allocated for current and capital expenditure for the benefit of young people, representing an increase of €7 million, or almost 9%, on the 2024 budget. Between 2021 and 2025, current exchequer funding for youth services and programmes has increased by over 34%. This investment will support the implementation of Opportunities for Youth: The National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024–2028, which sets out strategic objectives and 18 priority actions to strengthen the role of youth work and related services in the lives of young people across Ireland.

Under the department’s largest youth funding scheme, UBU Your Place Your Space, €50.7 million has been allocated in 2025. Since its launch in 2020, significant additional funding has been directed to new services across the country, with over 90,000 young people participating in UBU Your Place Your Space in 2024. In 2025, a further €1.2 million was provided to establish 10 new UBU youth services, which will deliver targeted youth worker-led support to up to 1,000 disadvantaged young people in areas of greatest need. The successful education and training boards (ETBs) selected to host these new services are:

• Cavan and Monaghan ETB
• Donegal ETB
• Kerry ETB
• Kildare and Wicklow ETB
• Kilkenny and Carlow ETB
• Laois and Offaly ETB
• Longford and Westmeath ETB
• Louth and Meath ETB
• Mayo Sligo and Leitrim ETB
• Tipperary ETB

The selected ETBs are currently completing their call for service process, and it is anticipated that the first of the new UBU services are due to become operational by the end of 2025.

In 2025, the Targeted Youth Employability Support Initiative (TYESI) received €1.135 million in funding. This supports projects that engage young people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), helping them to build confidence, develop key skills, and progress toward further education or the workforce. There are currently 18 TYESI-funded services operating across the country, with every ETB receiving funding to support at least one initiative within its functional area.

The Local Youth Club Grant Scheme (LYCGS), funded by the department and administered by the ETBs, supports volunteer-led youth clubs nationwide. €2.7 million has been allocated for this scheme in 2025, an increase of 8% on the 2024 level. The scheme enables communities to access volunteer-led youth clubs and groups that foster personal development, inclusion, and well-being, with over 62,000 young people participating in 2024.

The Youth Services Grant Scheme (YSGS) provides funding to 35 National Youth Organisations to deliver universal youth services across Ireland. The department is providing €15.3 million under this scheme in 2025. Of these 35 Organisations, five are new entrants that joined the scheme as part of the YSGS reform process in 2024. The opening of the scheme to new entrants has enhanced diversity and choice within the YSGS, ensuring a broader range of national organisations can reflect and respond to the varied needs, identities, and interests of young people across the country. These Organisations play a vital role in supporting young people through clubs, activities, and services that promote engagement and growth. In addition, they contribute to the wider youth sector by offering training for volunteer youth workers, promoting evidence-based youth work, and advocating for the voluntary youth sector.

The department is very cognisant of the challenges still being experienced by some clubs in recruiting volunteers, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, €650,000 was allocated in 2024 to the Volunteer Activation Fund, which continued into 2025, providing additional support to National Youth Organisations in recruiting, retaining, and supporting volunteers. Between 2024 and 2025, the fund supported 19,154 volunteers across 954 clubs, engaging over 25,000 young people nationwide.

The department is currently undertaking a comprehensive mapping exercise of the youth services sector, capturing both youth worker-led and volunteer-led provision. Significant progress has already been made, including the development of an internal dashboard that serves as a core building block for the final map. The aim is to produce a dynamic, user-friendly resource that will enhance awareness of and access to youth services nationwide - supporting young people, their families, and educators in identifying relevant supports within their communities.

Finally, arising from Budget 2026, an additional €8 million in current and capital funding has been allocated to support the sustainability and development of youth services. This investment strengthens the foundation for inclusive, high-quality provision — ensuring continuity, expanding reach, and enabling services to respond to the evolving needs of Ireland’s diverse youth population. The department remains committed to supporting youth work at both national and local levels, and recognises the importance of inclusive, community-based engagement in urban areas. The increased funding will enable both universal and targeted youth services to continue delivering tailored supports and safe, welcoming spaces for young people across the country.