I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. Supporting youth work is a critical aspect of what we do as a Government to support our young people. I thank both Deputies for the opportunity to set out the position with regard to youth work provision and funding provided to Youth Work Ireland from my Department. Youth work services deliver high-quality youth work and non-formal developmental opportunities to young people aged between ten and 24 across Ireland every year. Approximately 450,000 young people participate in youth work services annually. Since 2020, Government investment in youth services has risen from €62.3 million to €90.1 million in 2026. Under the national development plan, €4 million in capital funding will be allocated annually to youth services from 2026 to 2030, providing multiyear certainty for the first time. This allows better long-term planning, investment and value for money. Youth Work Ireland is a key organisation in the sector. It provides youth work to tens of thousands of young people across the country. Its importance is reflected in the support provided by the Department of Education and Youth via multiple funding streams. Over €2.8 million has been allocated to Youth Work Ireland under the youth services grant scheme in 2026, representing a 28% increase since 2020. Youth Work Ireland has also received funding for specific projects under the youth climate justice fund, the volunteer activation fund, and the youth services capital fund. Youth Work Ireland and its member services play a key role in the delivery of targeted youth work interventions. Over €12 million has been allocated to Youth Work Ireland member organisations to deliver targeted youth work in 2026 under the UBU Your Place, Your Space scheme. With this funding, the Department of Education and Youth continues to support existing youth services and youth organisations, including Youth Work Ireland, while also enabling the expansion of both targeted and universal services for young people. Youth workers and volunteers are essential to the delivery of quality youth services. The Department is also progressing a workforce development strategy in recognition of the need to support the workforce and the youth work sector to ensure that they can continue to provide high-quality, accessible and inclusive youth work opportunities for young people. I sincerely thank youth workers and employers for the high level of participation in the workforce survey process. The analysis and responses will be extremely useful in informing the strategy's development. Consultations are scheduled to take place in multiple locations around the country during May and June to engage further with youth workers and employers in order to build on the data available through the youth workers and employers survey. Just this week, my officials presented some top-level findings from the surveys at the Inspiring Future Youth Workers seminar that was organised by the National Youth Council of Ireland and funded by my Department under the Bonn process.

Sentiment score: 0.36

I thank the Deputies for raising those issues. Youth workers are employed directly by individual youth organisations. They are not public servants. Their terms and conditions, including pay, are set by those organisations. My Department provides grant funding for the provision of youth services to the organisations in question to meet the needs of young people. It does not directly employ youth workers or set the terms and conditions of employment. My Department is aware that pension provisions across the sector are inconsistent. Some youth organisations have established pension schemes but others have not. The additional current funding that is being provided as part of budget 2026 will help youth organisations to manage the pressures on them, including the costs arising, for example, from pension obligations. Current funding of €90.1 million will be available this year. That represents a 5%, or €4.5 million, increase on the 2025 allocation. The results of the survey will be analysed. My Department is progressing the workforce development strategy in recognition of the important work that the workforce does within the youth sector. There is also a fund relating to volunteerism, and there is the activation fund. There is €20 million in capital funding allocated to youth services as part of the national development plan. My Department is working with other Departments, including the Department of Children, local authorities and the ETBs, in the area of capital projects. The workforce survey will be really important in the context of informing our work. The consultations will form a key part of that work. I assure the Deputies that this is a key priority. We have increased capital and current funding. I want to continue to do that and to work with and listen to the sector. I know the importance of youth work across the country.

Sentiment score: 0.12