The Education Minister has launched Ireland’s first ever interactive map compiling national services available for young people and their families.
Education and Youth Minister, Hildegarde Naughton, formally opened YouthMap Ireland at Youth Work Ireland’s Tuam Youth Services, Co Galway, on September 3.
The “living resource” is an online database accessible to all seeking to avail services in their area. Information found on the platform include service locations, contact details, websites, facilities and accessibility information of various groups.
The map includes a broad range of youth-focused services including Youth Clubs, UBU Your Place Your Space services, Youth Information Centres, Scouts and Guides, Irish-language youth clubs, National Youth Organisations, Comhairle na nÓg, and Targeted Youth Employability Support Initiative (TYESI) projects as well as services for Traveller and Roma youth.
“Youth work plays an incredibly important role in supporting young people to build confidence, develop new skills, make connections and have their voices heard, but we know that people cannot access services if they do not know they are there,” the minister said.
As the platform was being developed, young people were involved in the consultation and user testing to ensure it is accessible, user-friendly and responsive to their needs.
YouthMap Ireland delivers Action 9 of Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024-2028, which commits to mapping the availability and distribution of youth work and wider youth services and facilities throughout Ireland.
The website is now live and will be consistently updated and maintained.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting scheme.