Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2026
460. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of youth spaces and young services, by county, for each of the years from 2020 to 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45273/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUBU Your Place Your Space (UBU) is the largest youth services scheme funded by the Department of Education and Youth targeting young people aged between 10 to 24 who are identified as marginalised, vulnerable and at risk of not flourishing. The UBU scheme provides funding to 258 targeted youth services across the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) that coordinate delivery of funding to services in their local areas. In 2025, funding was also allocated to support the establishment of an additional 10 UBU services nationwide, which became operational in 2026. In 2026, over €54.5 million was allocated to the UBU scheme.
The Local Youth Club Grant Scheme (LYCGS) is an annual funding programme administered on behalf of the department by the network of sixteen ETB. The scheme offers financial support to volunteer-led youth clubs and groups to help cover the costs of delivering activities for young people, primarily those aged 10 to 21. In 2024, funding supported approximately 1,135 voluntary youth clubs nationwide, enabling over 60,000 young people to participate in clubs within their communities, and supporting over 15,000 volunteer leaders. The department is currently awaiting final 2025 annual reports, following the receipt of which the 2025 participation data will be available. Funding of over €2.8 million for 2026 has been allocated to the sixteen ETBs and the application and award of grants to clubs is currently in process.?
As both the UBU scheme and the LYCGS are administered by the ETBs, service and club numbers are recorded and reported at ETB level rather than on a county-by-county basis. The number of services and clubs by ETB for the period in question is set out in the tables below.
UBU Your Place Your Space
|
UBU Services |
Total Services 2020 |
Total Services 2021 |
Total Services 2022 |
Total Services 2023 |
Total Services 2024 |
Total Services 2025
|
Total Services 2026 |
|
Cavan & Monaghan? |
4 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
|
City of Dublin? |
49 |
49 |
52 |
51 |
43 |
43 |
43 |
|
Cork? |
31 |
31 |
30 |
30 |
30 |
30 |
30 |
|
Donegal? |
3 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
|
Dublin?Dun Laoghaire? |
32 |
32 |
34 |
32 |
32 |
32 |
32 |
|
Galway & Roscommon? |
20 |
21 |
21 |
21 |
21 |
21 |
20 |
|
Kerry? |
4 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
|
Kildare & Wicklow? |
14 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
12 |
13 |
|
Kilkenny & Carlow? |
5 |
5 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
7 |
|
Laois & Offaly? |
3 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
|
Limerick Clare? |
26 |
26 |
27 |
27 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
|
Longford & Westmeath?? |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
|
Louth & Meath? |
8 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
|
Mayo, Sligo & Leitrim? |
7 |
8 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
|
Tipperary? |
9 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
|
Waterford & Wexford? |
30 |
31 |
31 |
30 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
|
Total? |
252 |
257 |
271 |
267 |
252 |
252 |
258 |
Local Youth Club Grant Scheme
|
Education and Training Board |
Total Clubs/ Groups 2020 |
Total Clubs/ Groups 2021 |
Total Clubs/ Groups 2022 |
Total Clubs/ Groups 2023 |
Total Clubs/ Groups 2024 |
Total Clubs/ Groups 2025
|
|
Cavan & Monaghan? |
72? |
69? |
70? |
86? |
78? |
75 |
|
City of Dublin? |
93? |
96? |
102? |
105? |
102? |
107 |
|
Cork? |
134? |
103? |
125? |
152? |
165? |
165 |
|
Donegal? |
70? |
55? |
53? |
59? |
66? |
58 |
|
Dublin?Dun Laoghaire? |
92? |
84? |
70? |
95? |
102? |
116 |
|
Galway & Roscommon? |
108? |
83? |
84? |
89? |
82? |
89 |
|
Kerry? |
48? |
26? |
31? |
38? |
39? |
50 |
|
Kildare & Wicklow? |
83? |
63? |
58? |
67? |
70? |
Due in on 26/6/26 |
|
Kilkenny & Carlow? |
25? |
27? |
25? |
27? |
32? |
39 |
|
Laois & Offaly? |
35? |
26? |
28? |
37? |
34? |
39 |
|
Limerick Clare? |
94? |
74? |
76? |
64? |
73? |
75 |
|
Longford & Westmeath?? |
25? |
25? |
32? |
29? |
33? |
35 |
|
Louth & Meath? |
87? |
84? |
80? |
87? |
90? |
92 |
|
Mayo, Sligo & Leitrim? |
98? |
62? |
56? |
75? |
65? |
72 |
|
Tipperary? |
34? |
36? |
32? |
32? |
29? |
31 |
|
Waterford & Wexford? |
81? |
85? |
78? |
68? |
75? |
68 |
|
Total? |
1,179? |
998 |
1,000? |
1,110? |
1,135? |
TBC |
