Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2013
159. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will update Dáil Éireann on her Department's engagements with Northern Ireland agencies in developing youth cross-border and cross-community relationships. [17247/13]
View answerThe Youth Affairs Unit of my Department supports the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities, by the voluntary youth sector. Funding of €53.173m has been provided to my Department for the provision of youth services in 2013.
Funding is provided by my Department to a number of programmes which involve cross-border exchanges for young people. One such programme is Causeway which is a Youth Exchange Programme established in 1998, following the Good Friday Agreement, between Ireland and UK for the East/West and North/South exchange of young people between the ages of 13 and 25, with particular regard given to those from disadvantaged backgrounds. All exchanges must include one Irish partner and at least one other partner either from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales. Léargas-the Exchange Bureau is the administering agency for Causeway in Ireland.
The Causeway programme aims to strengthen and improve relationships between young people, and those that who work with them, on the islands of Britain and Ireland. Causeway projects provide a valuable avenue for young people to explore their perceptions of identity and to deal with issues of tolerance and diversity.
The Management Committee of Causeway includes representatives from my Department, the Department of Education Northern Ireland, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Youth Council of Northern Ireland together with Léargas, the administering body.
Funding is also provided by my Department to Co-operation Ireland which was founded in 1979. Its objective was to promote peace in a new and practical way. Originally called Co-operation North, its aim is to promote cross-border relations. Co-operation Ireland develops programmes which enable people from communities North and South to participate in cross-border and cross community programmes. The funding provided by my Department has supported cross-border exchange projects for young people
In addition my Department provides funding for The President's Award - Gaisce which is the National Challenge Award from the President of Ireland to the young people of Ireland (15 to 25 years of age). Gaisce is a member of the International Award Association which comprises 121 countries world wide. The purpose of the Award is to encourage young people to set and achieve a demanding challenge for themselves in a non-competitive environment. The Award is conducted through schools, youth clubs and youth organisations and with the assistance and support of many other state and non-state sector bodies.
Members of youth groups in Belfast who wish to avail of Gaisce the President’s Award may register with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Northern Ireland for the Joint Award Programme. On completion of the programme they can choose to have the Gaisce Award presented. In 2011 231 Awards were presented in Northern Ireland.
My Department is also a member of the North South Education and Training Standards Committee for Youth Work (NSETS) which was launched in January 2006 by the then Minister for Education for Northern Ireland and the Minister of State for Youth Affairs in the Republic.
The decision to establish NSETS was to create a framework for the endorsement of Youth Work education and training that would ensure and support best practice and facilitate professional mobility and exchange both on a north/south and east/west basis.
The role of NSETS committee to date has been to assess all aspects of the quality of training for professional youth and community work offered by Higher Education Institutions in Ireland and professionally endorse the programmes submitted to it.
My Department provides funding towards the secretariat of NSETS which is currently carried out by Youth Council of Northern Ireland. This allocation also covers travel and subsistence for members of the Southern representation.
