Minister Foley announces €500,000 in funding for new recreational spaces for teenagers

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley has today announced €500,000 in funding for new recreational spaces for teenagers.

It is recognised that more play and recreation amenities, such as social ‘hang out’ spaces and multi-use games areas (MUGAs), are required for teenagers due to the increase in population and lower number of facilities for them.

The department secured Dormant Accounts funding this year to allow authorities to develop the teenage specific spaces in consultation with teenagers themselves.

Local Authorities, working with their local Comhairle na nÓg (youth council), were invited to develop and submit a proposal for a project to address the recreational needs of teenagers in their local authority area, up to a maximum cost of €125,000.

An evaluation was carried out on the applications received and the top two applications have now been awarded €125,000 to complete their proposed project. A further five local authorities will each receive €50,000, to implement certain elements of their proposed plans.

Minister Foley said:

There are almost 500,000 children aged 12-18 in the country according to Census 2022.

Teenagers are acknowledged to be at a distinct social disadvantage when it comes to enjoying their right to play and recreation. The recently published report, Play and Recreation Provision for Children and Adolescents: A National Review for Ireland 2024commissioned by DCEDIY, notes that the adolescent population (12-18 Years) clearly stands out as under-resourced or under-facilitated in relation to their play and recreation needs in comparison to children 0-11 years. There are around 787,000 children aged 0-11, according to Census 2022.

The provision of playgrounds for young children has improved in recent years with around 960 playgrounds available in 31 councils around the country. In contrast, 47% of local authorities did not provide any play facilities for children back in 1999.

There are now 171 council-owned multi-use games areas (MUGAs) and 59 skate parks which are designed for children aged 12-18.

ENDS

The application process for this pilot project was highly competitive, with 21 applications submitted. The top two applications following an evaluation process are to receive €125,000 to complete their proposed project. In recognition of the quality of applications received, demonstrating the need for teen-specific spaces, DCDE engaged with the Department of Rural and Community Development to secure an additional €250,000 for this high-demand pilot, which will see five further local authorities awarded €50,000 each to implement certain elements of their proposed plans.

Eligibility Criteria:

Under this pilot application, the eligibility criteria were a prerequisite to qualifying for funding and a key criterion was that teenagers were consulted on the project the subject of the application. Applicants provided details of their consultation with their local Comhairle na nÓg and any other consultation with young people they may have conducted. The project proposed must also be youth-friend and safe and be fully accessible to all children and young people, including those with disabilities.

Evaluation Process:

Following an initial screening process to ensure applications met the required eligibility criteria, the applications were then evaluated by an adult evaluation panel and also a panel of young people.

Comhairle na nÓg

Comhairle na nÓg are local youth councils (aged 12-18) that give young people a voice in the development of local policies and services. They are the recognised national structure for youth participation in decision-making. There is a Comhairle na nÓg in each of the 31 local authorities, supported by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE) through the Comhairle na nÓg Development Fund and DCEDIY Participation Officers.