Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 February 2026
131. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider putting forward a proposal to the Department of Public Expenditure; Infrastructure; Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to make public servants of youth workers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10537/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Education and Youth provides grant funding to youth organisations to deliver youth services, supports, programmes and activities for young people aged 10 – 24 years in communities across the country. There are currently approximately 2000 youth workers employed by youth organisations to deliver youth services which receive grant funding from a number of departments and agencies. The legislation that underpins the delivery of youth work is the Youth Work Act 2001. This Act defines youth work as a planned programme of education designed for the purpose of aiding and enhancing the personal and social development of young persons through their voluntary participation, which is complementary to their formal, academic or vocational education and training, and provided primarily by voluntary youth work organisations. It is the position that public services are provided by a combination of public servants and a myriad of grant funded non-public service organisations and non-public service employees. There are currently no plans to develop a proposal to change the status of youth workers. Any proposal to change the status of youth workers, or to align their pay to a public service pay scale linked to public service pay agreements, would have wider implications for the public sector as a whole.
