Youth Work Ireland has called on Government to make a significant investment in youth services in their Pre Budget 2027 submission YOUNG PEOPLE – A REAL PRIORITY?, warning that staffing shortages, rising costs, and a lack of youth infrastructure are putting vital supports for young people at risk.
Representing a federation of 20 local youth services that work with more than 70,000 young people each year, the organisation says youth services are struggling to meet growing demand while dealing with increasing recruitment and retention challenges.
According to Youth Work Ireland, many youth workers are leaving the sector due to less favourable pay and conditions compared to other publicly funded services. The organisation is calling for the introduction of a statutory salary scale for youth workers, based on the long-established CDYSB (statutory) model, to help attract and retain skilled staff.
“Our sector is losing staff and struggling to maintain services because of difficulties in attracting and retaining workers,” said Dr Patrick Burke, CEO of Youth Work Ireland. “The gap is widening every year and impacting services for young people in communities across Ireland.”
The organisation also highlighted the impact of inflation and rising operational costs, including energy, transport, insurance, programme materials, and pension auto-enrolment. It says funding increases have failed to keep pace with these costs, leaving many services with reduced programme budgets and limited capacity to respond to local needs.
Alongside investment in staffing and frontline services, Youth Work Ireland is calling for a national strategy to develop dedicated youth spaces. The organisation believes that safe, welcoming, purpose-built youth facilities are essential in supporting young people’s wellbeing, participation, and sense of belonging.
“We must be more ambitious for our young people,” Dr Burke added. “Every young person should have access to a quality youth service or support in their own community. That is the vision behind our Youth Work for All campaign.”
Youth Work Ireland is also seeking greater support for youth information services, highlighting their importance in helping young people navigate misinformation, disinformation, social media, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
As Ireland’s young population continues to grow, Youth Work Ireland argues that investment in youth services is not optional but essential. The organisation is urging Government to ensure that funding matches both the ambitions of national youth policy and the realities facing young people and communities across the country.