Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023
1073. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he and his Department have mapped the existence of youth focused community projects and staff across the State; if his Department is aware of gaps in coverage or large and populous areas without or with inadequately resourced projects and how the Department will resolve this. [41412/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides funding to Education and Training Boards (ETBs) 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.
In preparation for Cycle 2 of the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme, each ETB carried out an area profile exercise to assess the needs/issues pertaining to young people in their functional area in order to identify and ascertain where the services for young people are most needed. Following this process, the ETBs made recommendations to the Department on the geographic areas with the greatest need for services to address the most urgent needs/issues facing young people. The application process for cycle 2 is underway. This approach is designed to be needs led where local circumstances and responses can be identified and supported.
In 2022, the UBU Your Place Your Space programme manager and other staff within my Department visited all 16 ETBs and over 70 youth services/organisations nationwide, engaging with and hearing the needs of youth service managers, youth workers and young people.
My officials also maintain regular contact with the 30 national and major regional youth organisations funded under the Youth Service Grant Scheme and with Gaisce and Leargas. This includes the National Youth Organisation Meeting which I attend twice a year to hear directly from the sector.
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 all over the country.
