There is substantial funding needed for youth services across rural parts of Laois according to the Laois Offaly Educate Together Board (LOETB).
It was revealed earlier this week that LOETB receives the lowest funding of any ETB in the Country in terms of youth funding.
This is despite having “one of the highest and fastest growing rates of young people in Ireland” (aged between ten and 24 years old) according to the LOETB.
But the problems go deeper than the imbalance felt by Laois in comparison to the rest of the country.
Speaking at the February meeting of the County Council, representatives from the LOETB revealed that there is a striking imbalance within County Laois itself when it comes to dispersion of funds for young people
The town with the highest rate of young people aged ten to 24 years old is Ballylinan with 24.8% of the town’s population falling into that category, well above the the national average of 19.8%.
Ballylinan is followed by Portarlington (22.7%) and Mountmellick (21.4%), with all three above the Laois average of 21.1%.
In terms of children nine years old and younger, Borris-in-Ossory has the highest rate at 17.5%, followed by Mountrath (15.8%) and Portarlington (14.5%).
All of these far exceed the State average of 12.1%.
Yet despite these figures, Aoibhe Enright-Moony, LOETB Youth Services Resource worker said “none of these areas received targeted youth funding in 2023.”
All targeted youth funding in the County is spent in Portlaoise alone, but the LOETB said there are substantial youth populations across Laois that are being “dangerously underfunded.”
Ballylinan and Mountmellick are worst affected by the lack of funding. As well as receiving no targeted youth funding, neither receives any universal funding either.
In fact, the eastern side of the County, from Mountmellick across to Clonaslee, receives zero dedicated youth funding.
LOETB Youth Officer Mr Joe Thompson outlined the scale of the problem, stressing that despite have one of the highest levels of youth population in the Country, as well as one of the highest levels of diversity in the Country, Laois/Offaly receives thehlowest levels of funding and of all ETBs across Ireland.
Mr Thompson said the high levels of youth and diversity in Laois offers huge opportunities for the County.
“We have something phenomenal here,” he said.
“Young people have massive potential to support us.”
But to harness these opportunities, Mr Thompson said “we need joined-up working, not just joined-up thinking.”
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