€3,063,000 funding for organisations in Waterford and Wexford
Waterford TD, Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh has welcomed Minister Roderic O’Gorman’s announcement of €66.8million funding for National and Regional Youth organisations with €3,063,000 ringfenced for organisations in Waterford and Wexford. The package announced today will bring much needed funds to youth organisations throughout the county as well as providing essential funding for the national organisations and clubs which also have branches in Waterford.
Deputy Ó Cathasaigh said: “We know that our children and young people are suffering throughout this pandemic as they see so many of their activities and normal supports fall away due to restrictions. As well as concerns over the health and safety of loved ones, they have had worries about their education and they had suffered the loss of important social time with their friends. Activities which make a huge difference to their mental and physical health have had to be postponed and many of our young people have experienced loneliness and isolation. Our young people have been remarkably resilient but this last year had been very tough for so many.”
In relation to Youth Services in general, Deputy Ó Cathasaigh said: “As a former teacher, I have seen first-hand the positive impact youth organisations and services can have on young people and their futures. They can often change the life of a child and they play a very important role in creating an equal, diverse, accessible and inclusive society.”
“I welcome today’s announcement because the organisations who provide supports, activities, social outlets and general fun for your young people need to keep going. Many organisations have continued to offer their normal services to young people where those services were not affected by restrictions. Many other organisations have innovated and come up with novel ways of bringing their young people together online.”
This €66.8m in funding is broken down as follows:
- €41.8 million has been made
available in targeted youth funding under UBU Your Place Your Space,
including
- Increases for existing UBU Your Place Your Space services totalling almost €1 million
- The provision of additional funding of €1 million to establish new UBU Your Place Your Space services, with an initial six new services being planned for the first part of 2021.
- National Youth Organisations will benefit from an increase to some €12 million in universal funding under the Youth Services Grant Scheme.
- Local youth clubs will benefit from an increase to €2.25 million.
- Youth Information Centres will see an increase in allocations to services and be supported through a new nationwide programme of co-ordination and modernisation. Funding of €1.57 million is being provided for this purpose.
- Education and Training Boards (ETBs) around the country will receive €4.6m to support their work and engagement with young people. As the mid-level governance structure for Exchequer funded youth service provision, ETBs perform a key role in the assessment and development of youth services in their area.
- The remaining investment will strengthen quality, see the development of a new youth strategy, support the important role of ETBI, and support the operations of Leargas, Gaisce – the President’s Award, EU and North/South Initiatives and the LGBTI+ Youth Strategy.
