I thank the Minister. The Minister of State with responsibility for this area, Deputy de Valera, has been ill and I take this opportunity to wish her well. I offer my support for her efforts to secure the €5 million which has been estimated to be needed next year to implement the Youth Work Act and the national youth work development plan.
Does the Minister agree that we cannot afford to fail to implement these measures given the alternative? Youth work directs young people to positive rather than negative activities. The experience in my constituency, of which the Minister will be well aware, has been that youth work represents great value for money. There are 40,000 volunteers involved in the youth work sector.
In real terms, the increase the Minister mentioned is a 4% decrease when inflation is taken into account. Does the Minister agree that the implementation of the Act has meant youth organisations had to draw money from other established funding to meet their obligations under the Act and the plan? I urge the Minister to provide the relatively small amount of money which is needed in the Estimates. I accept that he will not tell us the sum he is providing.