New figures show a significant decline in the number of young people engaging with youth services in Ireland.
Research carried out by the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) has found that 80,000 less young people engaged with youth work services since the outbreak of the pandemic.
There has been concern among some youth workers and volunteers about the lack of re-engagement as restrictions have eased.
A key issue for those working in the sector has been a difficulty reaching young people who disengaged, in particular vulnerable or marginalised young people.
The research also found that 61% of the services surveyed saw a decrease in volunteer involvement, with figures falling from 11,102 in 2019/20 to 3,951 in 2020/21, equating to a drop of 64%.
Impact of the pandemic
Mary Cunningham, CEO of NYCI, said: “This report exposes the devastating impact caused by Covid-19 to youth work services and young people, particularly vulnerable, marginalised and at-risk young people.”
“It is worrying to see the continued disengagement of thousands of young people from youth services across the country, despite the easing of restrictions,” she added
Ms Cunningham also stressed the need to address the impact the pandemic has had on volunteers in the sector.
“The decline in the number of youth work volunteers, as a result of the pandemic, is also something that we urgently need to address.
“Volunteers play a vital role in supporting young people through what are very pivotal years of their lives.
“This work is essential, and we hope that as we start to rebuild and live with Covid-19, youth work can bounce back — stronger and more resilient than ever.
“To achieve this, we will need increased and sustained investment in workforce development, greater recognition of the value of youth work, as well as increased strategic collaboration amongst key organisations and agencies.”
