Youth Services (Dail Debate 21-11-07)
Posted on December 19, 2007 at 05:04 PM
A Ceann Comhairle,
In speaking to this motion, one wonders what the Government's primary
motivation is, in putting this motion before the House.
It is not a legislative proposal. It contains no concrete provisions. It is
short on detail.
It is long on aspiration.
And therein lies the rub.
We have a government that is high on Aspiration but low on delivery.
The motion is so broad that one feels that there is a clear agenda by the
Government to pay lip-service to the idea of addressing the issues of
young people throughout this island.
What young people want to see are concrete legislative proposals that
will speak directly to their concerns.
These concerns are well documented and have been brought to
Government through representative bodies such as the National Youth
Council of Ireland.
The NYCI is a Social Partner.
The measure of how genuine this motion is will be measured by the
government's response to concerns outlined by Groups such as the NYCI.
I fear, however, that this motion is meaningless and full of the platitudes
that young people have become used to hearing from the Government
about the provision of services.
A Ceann Comhairle,
In the limited time afforded to me I wish to address a few specific areas:
The first relates to the health of children and our young people.
The National Youth Council of Ireland in its budget submission is calling
on the Government to deliver on its promise to double the income
threshold limit for full medical card entitlements for parents of children
below 6 years of age in this years Budget.
I believe this is attainable.
The Government must look positively on this proposal.
There are approximately 1.1 million children and young people under 18
living in Ireland.
According to the NYCI , only 305,000 of them are covered under the
medical card scheme.
Access to a GP is vital to ensure that a young person can avail of services
to assist them through these difficult years.
They need to be able to do so without incurring a financial cost.
This would serve as a positive move that would give them the confidence
and independence to avail of vital services but in a way that would ensure
confidentiality.
Those young people living in rural areas in particular, where counselling
and other services are not readily available would benefit in particular.
The government must also look favourably at families with children over
the ages of 7 and under 18 with a view to ensuring that income thresholds
are raised to allow more children to avail of primary and secondary care.
The second issue that needs to be addressed is the lack of adequate
facilities and services for young people who are in need of counselling
and require access to mental health facilities.
In my own Constituency of Cork East the Organisation "Let's Get
Together" was set up to help others affected by Suicide and to look at
ways of preventing it.
In June 2005, the Let's Get Together Foundation linked up with a number
of similar organisations throughout the country to set up "All Ireland
Prevention", raising awareness of the issue and speaking to local and
national media.
The Government, if this motion is to mean anything, must assist
organisations such as "Lets Get Together".
The highest rate of suicide is found among young men aged under 35
years - accounting for approximately 40% of all Irish suicides.
There is a clear lack of a coherent government policy to encourage Young
people who are experiencing difficulties in their lives to talk to others
about it.
The lack of available facts on a range of health and lifestyle issues,
linking potential users to relevant help services throughout the country is
exacerbating the travesty of suicide which, has reached epidemic
proportions throughout this land.
Ireland has the 5th highest suicide rate in Europe for the 15-25 year age
group.
Death by suicide is the number one cause of death among young Irish
men.
The Government needs to fund more campaigns through representative
organisations such as the NYCI, through the Primary Care Strategy to
reduce the large number of deaths by suicide.
Awareness needs to be raised.
Young people need options.
Young people need to access these options in a safe and non-judgemental
way.
We have all experienced tough times.
Many of us have been fortunate in that we have had family and friends to
support us.
Not every young person has that luxury.
Issues such as ‘coming out' to parents, unexpected pregnancy, low self
esteem and depression need to be tackled in a non-judgemental way.
On the issue of unwanted pregnancies, Now that Minister Mary Harney
has admitted that VAT on Condoms can be cut to as low as 5%, will she
now bring a proposal to Cabinet that Minister Cowen should cut the VAT
from 21% to 5%, as they have done in the UK and other EU member
states?
"The Crisis Pregnancy Agency has stated that 32% of people have
indicated that the cost of contraception is a factor in the decision not to
use condoms resulting in rising sexually transmitted infections and
unintended pregnancies.
This is an issue that has resonance for young people but the government are refusing to act.
Young People will seek access to services only if they know that
confidentiality can be guaranteed.
I am calling on the Government to increase the level of funding to youth
cafes and youth advocacy organisations in order to facilitate them in
providing these services.
This will allow access to these services in towns and villages where they
are non-existent.
The issue of suicide can be addressed.
But it must be done so on the basis of provision of services.
This country needs to get a grip on this epidemic. Too many people have died.
The Government must develop a rights based approach to services and
facilities and must develop legislative proposals that meet the demands of
our young population.
Until such time as this happens, then all that we are discussing today is
nothing but an exercise in optics.
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