Ireland’s sixteen Education and Training Boards – including Galway & Roscommon ETB – have called for the immediate restoration of funding to pre-austerity levels, at their first national conference held in Limerick rcently.

The ESB’s coordinate youth work for over 380,000 young people across the state, and the group’s General Secretary Paddy Lavelle said that funding for the youth work sector had decreased significantly since the 2008 economic crash.

“In that year, funding for youth organisations and special youth projects was €90.5 million. By 2015, this had fallen to €50.53 million, a reduction of over 44%,” he said.

“While there have been small increases of three to four per cent since 2020, and funding now stands at approximately €73 million, it is still significantly lower than it was 16 years ago, despite a 26% increase in the youth population since 2006,” he added.

Mr Lavelle pointed to the growth in youth population over the past two decades, but more critically the significant – and stark – social changes that impact on young people’s lives.

“From the increase in the number of children living in emergency accommodation to the ongoing legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic on our most at-risk young people, the need for quality and extensive youth services has never been greater,” he said.

“That’s why we’re calling for the immediate restoration of youth work funding to pre-austerity levels, adjusted in line with inflation and population growth, and factoring in the increased cost of service delivery,” he added.

Over 150 youth officers, youth workers and stakeholders from around the country, including Galway & Roscommon ETB, attended the inaugural national conference, Youth Work Matters, which was held in Thomond Park. The conference programme included keynotes and panel discussions on the impact of youthwork, creativity and diversity and youth homelessness.

Pictured: Galway & Roscommon ETB’s Donal Walsh, Davnet McEllin, Sarah Ni Chuireann pictured with GRETB Director of Schools Sinead Morgan at the ETBI Youth Work Matters conference in Limerick.