Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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I am raising the very important issue of funding for youth services across Laois and Offaly. Funding for youth services comes through the local education and training board. Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board has not been receiving its fair share of it. Laois-Offaly has the highest percentage of young people aged between ten and 24 years of age. The 2022 census verified this. Based on what I see locally, if a census were taken today, two years later, it would show that it has increased further. Laois and Offaly ETB has consistently received the lowest level of youth services funding compared with the other 15 ETBs. The total funding for Laois-Offaly ETB youth services in 2021 was €427,000, almost €300,000 less than the second lowest region which received €706,000. At the time this equated to €13.68 per person aged between ten and 24. That is a very small amount of money and considerably less than the average in that year, which was €43.84 across the 16 education and training boards in the State.

It has not stopped at that because last year, in 2023, the level of funding per young person between the ages of ten and 24 in Laois-Offaly was €15.82. Those figures can be tracked. The figures also show that in the two years since 2022, Laois-Offaly has had the lowest number of special youth projects under the UBU scheme, with four in total in Laois-Offaly, two in each county. That can be compared with other counties which had seven or eight and in some counties far more than that. Laois-Offaly has had much less funding and far fewer funded projects.

The population of Laois-Offaly has increased dramatically, as it has across the State. Between 2002 and 2022, there was an almost 60,000 increase in population in the two counties. The population in Laois in particular shows a sharp upward line on the graph. The last census in Laois showed that there are almost 92,000 people and that has increased dramatically in the last two years. The same is true in Offaly, which had a 6.6% increase in population. The increase in Laois was 8.5%. The population is increasing and with all those young families, there is an increase in the young population. I cannot understand why the level of funding given by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to the Laois and Offaly ETB region is less per head of population than anywhere else in the country, particularly per head of youth population.

We have a very progressive and active ETB. I used to be on its forerunner, the old VEC in Laois and Offaly, which did good work. The ETB is providing a huge number of services right across the educational range. What is happening and why is this? What will the Minister do about it?

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht an cheist seo. I also recognise the important work that youth organisations and ETBs do for our young people across the country. It is vital.

The Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, is committed to supporting the delivery and development of youth work services and opportunities for young people throughout the country. In 2024, the Government is investing €78 million in this sector, which represents a 26% increase in the budget since 2020. A total of over €800,000 is being allocated to Laois and Offaly ETB this year to support the provision of youth services in the area. Over €420,000 is being allocated under the UBU scheme. This funding is directed at young people who are marginalised, disadvantaged or vulnerable. It is allocated on the basis of an area needs analysis carried out by the ETB. This ensures that funding is directed to where it is most needed.

An additional €385,000 has been allocated to Laois and Offaly ETB to support youth services in 2024 under a number of funding schemes, including €12,000 under the resilience and effectiveness scheme 2024. This enables youth organisations to build capacity and respond to emerging needs. There is €36,000 under the new targeted youth employability support initiative in 2024. This funding helps young people to engage in progression pathways leading to education, training and employment opportunities. There is €75,000 under the migrant integration fund, to support the integration of young Ukrainians into youth services. There is €50,000 under the minor grant scheme, for additional programme-related costs associated with the provision of universal youth work supports for all young people, and €82,000 has been made available to support clubs in Laois and Offaly under the local youth club grant scheme.

In addition, €130,000 has been allocated to Laois and Offaly ETB under the ETB youth grant to support the ETB in carrying out its functions relating to the administration of the Department’s funding and its role in co-ordinating and supporting youth services.

In addition to funding targeted youth services administered by the ETB network, the Department provides funding to national youth organisations who provide volunteer-led youth services nationwide. Many of these organisations are active in counties Laois and Offaly, including 23 Foróige youth clubs and 11 scout troops. The Department recognises the important work of Laois and Offaly ETB as a key partner in the delivery of crucial youth funding schemes. The Minister's officials work closely with all 16 ETBs throughout the country, which are responsible at local level for supporting the provision, co-ordination, administration and assessment of youth work in their areas to ensure that the needs of young people continue to be met.

On the specific disparity in Laois and Offaly referenced by the Deputy in terms of lower levels of funding, the allocation of funding to Laois ETB under the UBU is based on funding the ETB received under previous youth services funding schemes administered by the Department including SPY and YPSF 1 and YPSF 2. The UBU services are targeted at marginalised, vulnerable and deprived young people, with areas of greater needs receiving the most. There is therefore no average per capitafunding for UBU services. That might go some way to explaining it, although it is not satisfactory. Some ETBs were more successful in attracting grants under previous funding schemes and this has resulted in a wide disparity in funding of youth services. In 2022, for example, the City of Dublin ETB youth services received €160 for every young person aged between ten and 24 in the Dublin city local authority area while Louth and Meath ETB received €15.50. That is a major disparity in per capitafunding for young people. I acknowledge the wide range of services provided not just by the ETBs but by Foróige and other youth organisations throughout the constituency.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister of State listed off a lot of sums for once-off funding that are relatively modest. The particular funding stream that goes to ETBs for distribution in Laois - he also referred to Louth - is far lower. It is just above €15 per head of youth population in 2023. I accept and understand that there are parts of Dublin with the highest needs, but a gap of 1,000% needs to be looked at. The Minister of State also stated that what was received in previous years is taken into account. That is a bit like trying to get going from the lowest start with a handicap. This needs to be looked at. I remind him, without complaining or putting on the poor mouth, that there are parts of Laois and Offaly with high levels of deprivation. There is a huge migrant population. There are schools in Portlaoise town with 800 or 900 pupils, the majority of whom have non-Irish parents. They are foreign nationals. There is nothing wrong with that, but I am making the point that this gives rose to many challenges in trying to provide youth services locally. I ask that in the annual allocation of core funding to the ETBs, another look be taken at Laois and Offaly. Will the Minister of State communicate that to his party colleague the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman? Will the officials look at that again? It is stubbornly low in comparison with other counties and needs to be reviewed.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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There is a disparity between the €160 for every young person in Dublin city and then €15.50 in Louth and Meath. The average works out at approximately €51.60 per young person, but I do not think putting a price on every young person is the issue. It is being able to provide as wide a range of services. Deprivation is deprivation be it in inner-city Dublin or in rural parts of the country in Laois and Offaly. The issues might be different, but many are the same in terms of child poverty and access to services and education for Travellers and migrants in particular. During his tenure, the Minister has consistently worked hard to try to ensure the trajectory has been an upward one over four budgets. I have no doubt that he will argue his corner for budget 2025 as well. I am more than happy to take back the specific request about Laois and Offaly ETB. There are other areas of funding around LECPs, the local development companies that do work with migrants, Travellers and local authorities. There is a broad coalition of organisations that work with and for young people and their families. This in particular is a specific issue the Deputy has raised about the ETBs and the Minister will not be found wanting in trying to maximise the funding for youth work across the country.