The Youth Work Bill came before this House as a result of effective lobbying by the youth work sector, including youth work providers throughout the country. The legislation represented an acknowledgement of the role of youth workers in rural and urban centres. It is now 2003, yet we are still awaiting the full implementation of the legislation through the VEC structures. It is imperative to establish those mechanisms now. I call on the Minister of State to use whatever resources are available to her to start the ball rolling.
Neither the present Government nor its predecessors has recognised the usefulness of youth work, which involves intervention to help children who leave school early and have domestic problems. They may have been bullied, suffer from depression and may even have suicidal tendencies. Children who feel isolated and marginalised need to be helped through the holistic approach of youth work. Such intervention can prevent many problems, such as solvent and drug abuse, suicide, non-violent and violent crime, mental illness and apathy among young people. These are matters which we will continue to debate in the House. Sometimes we may be angry with young people's attitudes, but many of them feel they are unable to participate in a society which provides them with no useful role. If youth workers are provided with the proper mechanisms, they can begin to make progress in this regard.
Preventative action is needed by the Legislature to avoid our taking a solely reactive stance to social difficulties, including violent crime and over indulgence in alcohol. We should become proactive by providing solutions, rather than wondering what has gone wrong.
Voluntary work is on the decline, not because people are becoming more selfish, but because they have less time in modern society. We do not have sufficient voluntary groups because parents cannot give their free time to youth clubs due to work commitments, longer commuting periods and other factors. We will have to introduce an effective, professional youth structure within which youth workers will be paid for their services. We must take this matter seriously and demonstrate that we are willing to work with young people. In that way, society will reap the rewards and will be able to move forward.
We should seek the creation of a department of youth affairs to concentrate on that large segment of the community below 25 years of age. Intervention during young people's formative years can help them to avoid taking the wrong road in life. I appreciate the Minister's presence in the House and I know her heart is in the right place concerning youth work. Hopefully, we will be able to make progress on this matter.