asked the Minister for Education if he will consider the establishment of a working party of persons with experience in the training and preparation of curricula for voluntary youth organisations based on common methods which will report to him as soon as possible.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Youth Training Services.
21.
The National Youth Council of Ireland have established a working party with a view to drawing up curricula for the training of voluntary youth leaders within youth organisations and this report will be studied by me. I have discussed the matter with the council at a recent meeting.
Mr. Kitt
I have not got a reply to my simple question.
Question No. 21.
I have replied to Question No. 21.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary please respond to the Chair's call for an answer to Question No. 21?
I have answered that question already but the answer was inaudible because of the noise in the House.
Question No. 22.
22.
asked the Minister for Education if he has any plans for the establishment, with Government support, of community-based youth services.
23.
asked the Minister for Education if he will consider establishing a specially designed course for the training of full-time youth workers.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 23 together.
These recommendations are among those made to me in a recent report by the National Youth Council. The report is being examined very actively in my Department and was the subject of a recent meeting I had with the council. Further meetings with the council will be necessary before any final conclusions can be drawn.
Deputy Kitt is entitled to a reply to his supplementary.
(Interruptions.)
Members are making matters very difficult for the Chair.
Mr. Kitt
I asked a simple question to which I did not hear a reply.
(Interruptions.)
The Chair has asked repeatedly that Questions be allowed to continue. Deputy Coughlan, while the Chair is on his feet——
The position is the same as it was two years ago.
I thought the Government were improving it.
Has the Parliamentary Secretary replied to Question No. 21?
Yes.
Nobody heard it.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary reply again to Questions Nos. 21 and 22?
The reply to Question No. 21 was:
The National Youth Council of Ireland have established a working party with a view to drawing up curricula for the training of voluntary youth leaders within youth organisations and this report will be studied by me. I have discussed the matter with the council at a recent meeting.
The reply to Questions Nos. 22 and 23 was:
These recommendations are among those made to me in a recent report by the National Youth Council. The report is being examined very actively in my Department and was the subject of a recent meeting I had with the council. Further meetings with the council will be necessary before any final conclusions can be drawn.
Mr. Kitt
I have not had an answer to my supplementary.
The Deputy will not get one either.
Mr. Kitt
Is the holder of a medical card entitled to free books for his children?
Arising out of the Parliamentary Secretary's reply to Questions Nos. 22 and 23, no doubt he is aware that discussions on this matter took place some considerable time ago. Has the Parliamentary Secretary made any progress in developing these discussions?
The report in question was presented to me and published simultaneously. While there may have been discussion on the matter with my predecessor, the report was not published until after it had been presented to me. It is now receiving very active consideration and I have set up a committee to advise me on general matters in relation to youth policy.
I appreciate that, but in view of the urgency of the matter would the Parliamentary Secretary inquire from the officers of his Department whether discussions have taken place already with some higher education institution and, if so, whether such discussions have been followed up?
In relation to a higher education institution, the Deputy and the House should be aware that I have taken action in this regard in so far as two people from the Twenty-six Counties are engaged presently on youth and community work in a course at the Northern Ireland Polytechnic at Jordanstown.
To clarify the point further, my question relates to discussions with a higher education institution in the south with a view to establishing a third level course for youth welfare officers. Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware of these discussions?
I am not, but I would point out that I would have no wish to prosecute this matter with undue speed until I am satisfied in regard to the shape of the service to be established because it would be wrong to train people for a job that would not exist.
Could the Parliamentary Secretary give us an assurance that he will make inquiries because the previous inquiries were carried out after full consultation with the Youth Council and seemed to be leading in a very positive direction?
Yes.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary give us any information in regard to the personnel of the committee he has set up and to their qualifications?
The Committee are a panel of advisers. They are not acting in a representative capacity but are there merely to supplement the resources of my Department in consideration of proposals made to me by various youth organisations. I could not give to the Deputy offhand any exhaustive list in relation to the personnel.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary satisfied as to the qualifications of those persons?
I am so satisfied, but I would point out to the Deputy that this body do not purport to be representative in any sense. Their advice is of a non-binding character.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary give us the names of the persons who comprise this committee?
If the Deputy wishes to have that information he may put down a question to that effect.
Question No. 24.
Is this body made up of civil servants from the Department or have people been chosen from outside the Department?
Both.
Are they so numerous that the Parliamentary Secretary cannot indicate to the House here and now their names or, even, the number involved?
That is a separate question. I have called Question No. 24.
A simple supplementary——
I have allowed a lot of latitude on this subject, Deputy.
I have only a short supplementary to put.
Quickly, then.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that two people is a small number to subsidise for a course at Coleraine University? Can he say whether this number is likely to be increased in the foreseeable future and whether people might be sent on a course of study not only to the North of Ireland but to the UK if necessary?
I could not give the Deputy the information he desires because no firm decision has been made on the matter. The measure I have taken is purely an experimental one.