The Social Democrats today published their manifesto for young people, which commits to increased investment in areas such as youth work, education, mental health, sport and recreation, and transport.
The policy was launched by Cllr Aidan Farrelly, the party’s candidate in Kildare North, and justice spokesperson Catherine Murphy.
The strategy outlines how, in government, the Soc Dems would increase funding for youth work services, restoring it to pre-austerity levels. It also promises multi-annual funding of youth projects, including ongoing and evolving provision for supports to retain and develop youth workers.
The policy has a strong focus on youth mental health. The party wants to aim for a situation where, by the end of one term of government, all schools will have at least one specialist emotional counsellor/therapist on staff.
The Soc Dems would also work towards the full clinical and administrative staffing of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, with the aim of establishing 16 CAMHS intellectual disability teams.
In the area of education, the policy details how the party would carry out a review of the CAO points system to develop a fairer framework for third level admissions. In addition, they would phase out the student contribution fee for those attending college and increase SUSI grants.
There are also proposals to increase student accommodation, along with the introduction of a rent freeze and better protections for renters.
Other measures outlined in the manifesto include the provision of a €150 sports and cultural activity voucher for children aged 6-18; the creation of a culture card, valued at €200, for 18-24 year olds; and free public transport for under-18s.
Speaking at the launch, Cllr Farrelly said:
“In government, the Social Democrats will have a focus on delivering better outcomes and brighter futures for young people in Ireland. Our policies will increase funding for services in areas like youth work, education, mental health, sport and recreation, and transport.
“As vice chair of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Future of Youth Work in 2023, our party leader Holly Cairns heard firsthand the challenges faced by young people as a result of the continued absence of investment in youth work in Ireland since the financial crash.
“Many recent instances of anti-social behaviour have led to cross-party recognition that high quality youth work has the potential to make significant positive inroads in addressing many of the challenges we face in Ireland today. That is why investment in our young people is key.”
Catherine Murphy said:
“Additional funding for mental health is crucial to help deal with the explosion of need in this area over recent years, and the ever-increasing waiting lists for services.
“We want to work towards a situation where all primary and secondary schools have access to at least one specialist emotional counsellor/therapist as a permanent member of the staff.”
November 22, 2024
NOTE: full text of youth manifesto here