A public forum to discuss “The future of Youth
Services in the North Inner City” will be held in the, SWAN Youth Service
St Agatha’s hall, Dunne St, D1 on Wednesday 26th of June from 6.00
p.m. – 8.00 p.m. The meeting has been organised by six different projects
from the north inner city including the Adventure Sports Project, Ballybough
Youth Service, Bradog Regional Youth Service, Lourdes Youth and Community
Services, SWAN Youth Service and the Wexford Centre Project.
The meeting will be an opportunity for Youth Service
organisations from the North Inner City to showcase what they do and to
highlight the detrimental impact of proposed further government cuts to
budgets. SIPTU activist Ashling Golden, a youth service worker from the SWAN
Centre explained: “Some projects have already lost over 30% of their budgets,
are running with no programme budget and have lost workers too, yet demand for
youth services has never been higher. This meeting will give the communities
most affected by austerity an opportunity to discuss with local TDs and
councillors what future there will be for the youth services in their area.”
The meeting will be chaired by UCD researcher and
author of the book ‘Sins of the Father’, Conor McCabe, and will also hear
contributions from Anastasia Crickley, the Head of the Department of Applied
Social Studies in Maynooth and from local young people, parents and youth Workers.TDs
who have already confirmed their attendance are Mary Lou McDonald, Paschal
Donohoe and Maureen O’Sullivan, while a number of other councillors and
representatives from various community and political groups are also expected
to be present on the night.
SIPTU Sector Organiser, Darragh O’Connor, urged people
from the local communities affected to attend on the night.
“The future of youth services is at stake here.
Funding cuts are having a major impact on service delivery, and the sector is
being de-professionalised by the imposition of part time hours, and fixed term
contracts. The right to representation by our members is at the core of many of
these issues because to date the voices and concerns of community workers have
been ignored by this government,” he said.
