*Funding withdrawn from Youth Work Ireland projects which
catered for over 500 young people per week*
Fianna Fáil TD for
Roscommon/Galway Eugene Murphy has called on the Minister for Children and
Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone to immediately make a statement in relation to
the closure of the Phoenix Youth Centre in Ballaghaderreen which was a vital
service for the area with upwards of 500 young people using the centre on a
weekly basis.
Deputy Murphy said he was
alarmed by the decision of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the
Department of Justice to withdraw funding for Youth work Ireland North
East Galway in respect a special youth project in Ballaghaderreen and their
youth information centre funding. The Fianna Fáil TD said that the funding had
been withdrawn without any real warning and the organisation had been left in
freefall with very little assistance from the Department of Children and Youth
Affairs.
“The Phoenix Centre in
Ballaghaderreen is a vital service and was extremely popular with 120 young
people using the service on a daily basis which is over 500 people per week
going through the doors. The youth information services project was funding by
the Department of Children and Youth Affairs while the Department of Justice
also funded a Youth Diversion Project and both strands of funding were
withdrawn. I understand that the City of Dublin Youth Services Board (CDYSB)
carried out a review of Youth Work Ireland Roscommon North East Galway in 2015.
They produced two reports recommending a series of changes under two headings,
Finance & Governance and Service Provision. A number of recommendations
were made and a number of issues had been addressed while the organisation was
making progress on a number of other recommendations but despite the progress
which was being made the Department pulled the plug on funding leaving the
Phoenix Centre unable to open its doors in January and I understand it is now
closed. I believe getting an urban based Dublin board to carry out a review is
another deliberate attempt by Government to run down services in rural Ireland
and this is devastating news for the hundreds of young people in the area who
relied on the centre,” said Deputy Murphy.
The Fianna Fáil TD said he
had already been in touch with the Minister’s office in relation to the matter
had had received the following reply. “I raised this matter with the Minister’
office as soon as I became aware of the situation and this is the reply which I
received: ‘The Department of Children and Youth Affairs authorised the decision
to permanently cease funding to Ballaghederreen Special Project for Youth and
to the Roscommon Youth Information Centre on foot of advices from officials
within the Department. The decision was informed in part by the findings of a
Service Review and of the Finance and Governance Review conducted by City of
Dublin Youth Service Board.
‘The primary rationale for the permanent cessation of funding was that the
Department had received no assurances that youth services being provided by
Youth Work Ireland Roscommon Galway North East were to a level that met the
needs of young people in the region. Nor was the Department provided with any
assurances as to the organisation’s capacity to support, operate and manage the
provision of quality youth services and to make good use of Government funding
for these purposes.’
Deputy Murphy said that he
was not satisfied with this response and he was now seeking urgent
clarification and a statement on the matter from the Minister for Children and
Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone.
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