Reverse the raiding of National Lottery funds for young people
The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) has hit out at the Government for slashing the grants given to voluntary youth organisations by 10% from National Lottery funds in 2009.
Despite the fact that the National Lottery was established to fund activities and services for young people, the Government has raided and diverted €4m of the National Lottery surplus destined to fund the work of youth organisations to make up for their own financial mismanagement. This is even harder to take given that the lottery surplus in 2007 increased by 12% to €245m.
NYCI is deeply concerned that many projects and programmes run by youth organisations particularly those dealing with the most disadvantaged young people will have to cease or severely curtailed. In addition youth projects working with early school leavers, young people involved or at risk of drug misuse or crime will have to close if this raid is not reversed. It’s unacceptable that Government is raiding funds to run services for young people in disadvantaged areas.
“While the National Lottery funding only partly covers the costs and expenditure of young organisations who work with thousands of young people all over Ireland it is an important and essential lifeline. We are very angry and frustrated that the Government has raided our funding which we should have received from the National Lottery in 2009 by over €4m. We are calling on the Minister for Finance and Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to reverse this raid and reinstate our funding,” exclaimed Mr. Eddie D’Arcy, President of NYCI.
Meanwhile members of Youthwork Ireland have protested at the reduced lottery funding outside Dáil Éireann. See www.youthworkireland.ie for details of their protest.
ENDS
For further information, please contact James Doorley, Assistant Director at NYCI on 087 648 3282 or Eddie D’Arcy on 087 126 2691.
Notes to Editors:
National Youth Council of Ireland
The National Youth Council of Ireland is a membership-led umbrella organisation that represents and supports the interests of 51 voluntary youth organisations and uses its collective experience to act on issues that impact on young people.