Vol. 486 No. 1
891 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will confirm that a local voluntary youth council will be established for each county; if the vocational education committee will have responsibility for youth work in its local areas; if the local voluntary youth council will have representation on an advisory body being established to advise the Minister in relation to policy and other matters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1621/98]
I shall be proposing to the Government that the legislation to amend the Youth Work Act, 1997 will — (i) establish a voluntary youth council of local voluntary youth work organisations in each of the functional areas to be prescribed; (ii) provide that vocational education committees will ensure the provision of youth work services within their functional areas; (iii) establish a national youth work advisory committee on which there will be significant representation for the prescribed body representing the entire voluntary youth work sector but not specific representation for any individual element of that sector, such as the voluntary youth councils; I should add regarding (i) above that it is envisaged that the functional areas of voluntary youth councils will accord with vocational education committee areas, and regarding (iii) above that the National Youth Council of Ireland is the body prescribed under the current legislation as representing the entire voluntary youth work sector and that it is my intention to maintain that recognition under the amending legislation.
