Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023
1035. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which his Department continues to liaise with youth representatives with a view to establishing the highest possible contact and dialogue in order to meet their requirements to an even greater extent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48136/23]
View answerMy Department and I maintain substantial engagement with organisations representing youth services and my Department funds and supports the participation of children and young people in decision-making across local and national government.
My Department provides funding to Education and Training Boards (ETB) to support youth services in their area. My officials hold quarterly meetings with the ETBs and these meetings assist my Department in identifying service needs and emerging issues, particularly for vulnerable young people.
Last year the UBU programme manager within my Department visited all 16 ETBs and over 70 youth services/organisations nationwide, engaging with youth service managers, youth workers and young people.
My officials maintain regular contact with the 30 national and major regional youth organisations funded under the Youth Service Grant Scheme and with Gaisce. This includes the National Youth Organisation Meeting which I attend twice a year to hear directly from the sector.
In relation to hearing directly from young people, Comhairle na nÓg (local youth councils) are child and youth councils (12 – 17 years) that operate in each of the 31 Local Authority areas across Ireland. Dáil na nÓg (youth parliament) is a biennial national youth parliament for young people (12 – 17 years), with 200 delegates elected through local Comhairlí. Each Comhairle na nÓg (youth council) elects representatives to the Comhairle na nÓg National Executive to take action at a national level on young people’s vote at Dáil na nÓg.
The National Youth Assembly of Ireland, established 2022, is an overarching structure to allow young people (12 – 24 years) consider issues of national importance and to feed their views into Government policy. DCEDIY established Hub na nÓg as a centre of excellence and best practice in child and youth participation. Hub na nÓg has a particular focus on including the voice of seldom heard children and young people on matters that affect them.
The National Participation Office (NPO) was established within DCEDIY to support the safe participation of children and young people in decision-making at local and national level. The NPO provides child safeguarding and measures to include seldom-heard children and young people. In 2023 there have been two Youth Assemblies, the National Youth Assembly on Climate which took place in March and the Rural Youth Assembly which took place in October with a number of recommendations made by children and young people.
Officials from my Department meet with various youth organisations on an individual basis when the need arises, in regular formal meetings with individual organisations or as a group, and by maintaining informal contacts.
My Department will continue to engage with all stakeholders in the sector to ensure that we are providing supports to youth organisations and to young people.
