On Wednesday, 15 April 2026, Youth Work Ireland and its member youth services from across the country travelled to Dublin to meet with Oireachtas members to highlight the vital role youth work plays in communities nationwide.
As Ireland’s largest federation of local youth services, Youth Work Ireland works with thousands of young people every year through a network of 20 member youth services. Our annual Oireachtas Briefing provides an important opportunity to connect this valuable local experiences with national policy, ensuring that the realities facing young people and youth services are reflected in political decision-making.
Youth Work for All: Turning a Vision into Reality
At the centre of this year’s briefing is our Youth Work for All Campaign, launched to champion the principle that every young person in Ireland should have access to quality youth work supports and services within their own community.
Across Ireland, youth work provides safe spaces, trusted relationships, opportunities for personal development, and vital support during some of the most important years in a young person’s life. Yet access to these services remains inconsistent, with many communities lacking the facilities, resources, and staffing needed to meet growing demand.
With the Government, Dáil, and Seanad now established, we believe this is a crucial moment to advance practical solutions that will make universal access to youth work a reality.
Investing in Young People and Communities
During the briefing, Youth Work Ireland and member youth services outlined a number of key priorities that are essential to strengthening youth work provision across the country.
1. Supporting Frontline Services
Youth services continue to face significant financial pressures arising from inflation and rising operational costs. Increased investment is needed to ensure frontline youth work services can continue to provide high-quality programmes and supports while maintaining accessible opportunities for young people and local youth clubs.
2. Developing Youth Facilities
Young people deserve access to safe, modern, and welcoming spaces within their communities. Youth Work Ireland is calling for the establishment of a significant national capital investment programme for youth facilities, bringing Ireland into line with approaches already adopted across many European countries. Such investment would help ensure that young people, regardless of where they live, have access to dedicated spaces where they can learn, participate, and thrive.
3. Valuing Youth Workers
The success of youth work depends on the skilled professionals who deliver services every day. To support recruitment, retention, and professional recognition across the sector, Youth Work Ireland is advocating for the introduction of a statutory salary scale for all state-funded youth work positions. Recognising and supporting youth workers is essential if we are to build a sustainable youth work system capable of meeting the needs of future generations.
Connecting Local Experience with National Leadership
The Oireachtas Briefing is designed as an informal drop-in event, creating opportunities for elected representatives to engage directly with youth service leaders and practitioners from communities across Ireland. By bringing local voices into national conversations, the event fosters collaboration and strengthen understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing young people today.
Youth Work Ireland believes that effective policy begins with listening to communities. Through our briefing, we hope to continue building strong partnerships with policymakers who share our commitment to ensuring every young person has the opportunity to reach their full potential.