McGuinness welcomes Minister's visit to Ossory Youth in Kilkenny
Ossory Youth supports over 1,900 young people every year
Leas Ceann Comhairle and Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow-Kilkenny, John McGuinness has warmly welcomed today’s visit by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O'Callaghan to meet with Ossory Youth in Kilkenny.
Deputy McGuinness said the visit presents an important opportunity to highlight both the scale and impact of Ossory Youth’s work, as well as the challenges facing youth services on the ground.
“Ossory Youth supports over 1,900 young people every year across Kilkenny through a wide range of services, from youth clubs and drop-in supports to targeted outreach and intensive interventions, including youth justice programmes,” Deputy McGuinness said.
“The organisation plays a vital role in early intervention, engaging young people before issues escalate and providing structured supports where they are most needed. This model not only benefits young people and families but also contributes significantly to safer communities.”
Deputy McGuinness said it is crucial that the funding model underpinning these services reflects the real cost of delivery.
“While the Department of Justice has developed a cost model that identifies the true cost of delivering youth services, this has yet to be fully implemented in practice. At present, there remains a clear gap between recognised costs and the funding actually provided,” he said.
“This is placing pressure on essential core functions such as management, governance, HR, and compliance. In Ossory Youth’s case, a small management and administration team is supporting a much larger frontline workforce delivering services across a substantial budget. This is not sustainable in the long term.”
The Fianna Fáil TD also highlighted inconsistencies in how funding is applied across Government departments, particularly in relation to Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) awards.
“It is not acceptable that staff carrying out similar roles can be paid differently depending on the funding stream. A consistent, cross-departmental approach is needed to ensure fairness and stability across the sector,” he said.
Deputy McGuinness further pointed to the challenges created by current public spending rules.
“Annual funding models, governed by DPER circulars, do not reflect the reality of delivering multi-annual youth services. Organisations are often required to spend within rigid timelines or return funding, which can lead to inefficiencies and undermines proper financial planning,” he said.
“We need to move towards a more flexible, multi-annual funding approach that allows organisations like Ossory Youth to plan effectively and deliver the best possible outcomes.”
Deputy McGuinness also raised the importance of capital investment, particularly the proposed development of Desart Hall.
“This project, with an estimated requirement of €1.7 million, is essential to increasing capacity and meeting growing demand for youth services in the area. I will be urging the Minister to support Ossory Youth in progressing funding opportunities under programmes such as Community Safety funding and the Community Centre Investment Fund,” he said.
Concluding, Deputy McGuinness said the Minister’s visit is a valuable opportunity to engage directly with those delivering frontline services.
“I look forward to welcoming Minister O’Callaghan to Kilkenny and to constructive discussions with Ossory Youth on how we can strengthen and sustain these vital services into the future,” he added.