Youth Work Supports
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-16
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Hildegarde Naughton (FG), Galway West

I thank Deputy Farrelly. I would be very happy to receive that information. It would help our data collection and make sure we are getting a really good picture of the youth work sector across the country. The work that has been under way within the Department is to try to get that profile, to really understand our youth work sector and to get feedback from them.
The first advisory group will have its first meeting in September and the terms of reference of that group will be finalised once the group is established. My Department is working in consultation with the National Youth Council of Ireland to agree the role of that group. The workforce survey data will be shared with the workforce advisory group in the first instance to inform its work in overseeing the development of the strategy. The workforce data will also accompany the strategy in the publication. So, it will be published.
While the subject of the pay and conditions of the sector has been raised through consultations, they will not directly form part of the strategy. As the Deputy knows, youth workers are not employed by my Department. They are not public servants and funding is allocated on the provision of service spaces to meet the needs of the youth population in an area. The employment of the staff, including youth workers, is a matter relevant for youth organisations and services.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:52:17+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-16