Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Oct 2001

Vol. 543 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - Youth Services.

Mr. B. Hayes

I see the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is on the late shift tonight. I do not see the Minister with responsibility for this area in the House. He must be fast-tracking his way back to Limerick.

I am glad of the opportunity to bring this matter to the attention of the House. The Minister of State will be aware from correspondence with me on this issue that there is an urgent need for the Department of Education and Science to commit additional resources to the Tallaght Travellers' Youth Service so that it can radically extend its literacy programme for Travellers in the Tallaght area.

For the past five years the service has asked the Department to extend the number of teaching hours available to local Travellers. It provides 1,050 teaching hours in the Tallaght area for local Travellers. The service believes it is essential the number of teaching hours for its literacy programme be extended to 1,900 hours. The growing demand for literacy classes reflects the widespread need within the Traveller community for this service.

There are about 250 Traveller families in the Tallaght area and this number has almost doubled in the past ten years. While the demand for Traveller education and, specifically, literacy programmes such as I have described has increased dramatically in this time, we have not seen an increase in the number of educational services available to the Traveller community.

The effect of the proposal from the Tallaght Travellers' Youth Service would be to provide two additional teaching posts devoted solely to the enhancement of literacy skills for local Travellers. It should not be forgotten that, under the national development plan, a huge sum of money has been set aside for improving literacy standards throughout the country. It has been highlighted repeatedly that Travellers are a key group in terms of poverty and improving literacy and educational skills.

The Tallaght Travellers' Youth Service does not understand why its proposal to extend the literacy service to Travellers has fallen on deaf ears within the Department of Education and Science for the past five years. This is not good enough and I challenge the Minister of State to explain how a group like this, which provides an essential service, should have to wait for funding when the Government has recognised the crucial work taking place within the community.

I understand that funding for a special project such as this falls within the remit of the youth affairs section of the Department of Education and Science. In the course of his reply, I would like the Minister present to state how much additional money exists within the special projects for youth scheme, which is a specific subhead within the Department. The Minister of State has made much of his commitment to providing funds for literacy programmes. Why has this project has not received a favourable response from the Department to date?

Mr. O'Donoghue

The Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science is responsible for the provision of youth work services. These services are in the sphere of non-formal education, and the Minister is continuing to make these services available to young people. This is done principally through the provision of financial assistance for national voluntary youth organisations, local youth work groups, youth information centres and special projects for youth throughout the country.

Youth projects and organisations provide valuable opportunities for the social and personal development of young people. Through participation in such organisations, qualities and skills such as leadership, decision-making and taking responsibility for oneself are acquired and young people are encouraged to become active participants in a democratic society.

The youth affairs section operates the special projects for youth scheme referred to by the Deputy and under which grants are allocated to organisations and groups for specific projects to address the needs of young people who are disadvantaged due to a combination of factors, including youth unemployment, substance abuse, social isolation and an inadequate take-up of ordinary educational opportunities. Approximately 180 projects are in receipt of funding under this scheme and the allocation for 2001 is £8,714,193.

The youth affairs section also operates the youth service grant scheme and the local youth club grant scheme. Under the former, funding is made available on an annual basis to national and major regional voluntary youth organisations for the support of voluntary youth work. Funding in 2001 amounts to £6,862,977. The local youth club grant scheme provides for the support of youth work activities at a local level. Grants are made available to youth clubs and groups through the local vocational education committee.

While the scheme is open to all those involved in the provision of youth work, disadvantaged and marginal groups are the priority target. A total of £1 million has been allocated this year for the scheme. The Minister recognises the concern felt by youth organisations regarding the availability of increased resources for youth work and he will continue to be unstinting in his efforts to secure increases in youth work funding.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Youth Work Bill, 2000, is awaiting Report Stage. This Bill, when enacted, will provide a statutory framework for the provision of youth work programmes and services by the Minister and vocational education committees. This will be a landmark in the development of youth work services in this country.

The Minister hopes to receive next month the national youth work development plan which he asked the national youth work advisory committee to prepare for him. This will serve as a vision or blueprint for the development of youth work services over the next five years or so.

With reference to the application for funding under the special projects for youth scheme submitted by Catholic Youth Care and County Dublin Vocational Education Committee on behalf of the Tallaght Travellers' Youth Service, it was not possible to fund the project this year because of the large number of new applications received, 37 in total. It was only possible to fund three new projects due to the high level of existing commitments in the youth sector and to the limited funding available this year. It should be noted, however, that in 1999 and 2000 the Minister secured additional funding for 19 new projects under this scheme. It should also be noted that the Tallaght Youth Service is in receipt of funding under the special projects for youth scheme. A grant of approximately £480,000 has been made available for the provision of youth services in the area.

The Minister would like to assure the Deputy that, in the context of funds available to him in 2002, he will be happy to re-examine a further application from the Tallaght Travellers' Youth Service. Application forms for the 2002 round of grants will issue shortly to all administering agencies.