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Youth Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020

Tuesday, 3 November 2020

Questions (983)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

983. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the information being collected and collated relating to young persons in rural areas, particularly in the north west; the supports and opportunities available to those young persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33697/20]

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Written answers

While my Department does not generally collect and collate demographic information of the nature referred to by the Deputy, a recent survey entitled How's Your Head? was commissioned by my Department to gather information on the impacts of Covid-19 and the public health restrictions on young people in both rural and urban communities. This survey provides valuable data on the current experiences of young people living in rural areas, who were found to be particularly impacted by the sense of isolation associated with restrictions.

Youth services funded by my Department have played a critical role in supporting such young people throughout the ongoing challenging period. Youth services foster a sense of connection in addition to enabling young people to fulfil their potential by strengthening their personal and social competencies and developing their resilience and mental well-being.

Between 2016 and 2020 the annual current funding invested in youth schemes by the Department has increased from €51.9m to €61.79m. The UBU - Your Place Your Space, which was launched in July this year, is targeted at young people aged between 10 – 24 years who are vulnerable, disadvantaged or marginalised. Young people experiencing rural isolation are a particular target group of the scheme.

Allocation of funding under the UBU scheme follows a defined process taking account of quantitative and qualitative information to objectively identify the needs of young people within a particular area. This approach ensures that we can target supports to the young people most in need of intervention and that funding is allocated on the basis of evidenced need.

My Department also funds more universally-focussed, volunteer-led, youth work through the Youth Service Grant Scheme, which supports young people in both rural and urban communities throughout the country.

In recognition of the key role of the youth sector in supporting young people through the pandemic, I have secured an additional €5 million for youth services in 2021.

My Department also funds Growing Up in Ireland (GUI), the national longitudinal study of children in Ireland. The GUI collects data on children and young people across Ireland, which could be analysed to provide further information about the situation of children and young people living in rural areas. The Deputy may be interested to know that under Commitment 59 of ‘Rural Policy 2020’, data from the GUI will form the basis of a research report on outcomes for children and young people in rural Ireland that will be commissioned by the Department of Rural & Community Development.

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