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Introduction

This report is part of a series of country studies conducted for the International Youth Foundation. IYF was founded in 1990 to bring worldwide support to the many exceptional local programs which promote the positive development of young people from five to twenty years of age. Central to IYF’s strategy is the creation of a global network of independent, indigenous, grant-making foundations with a common focus on children and youth. Since its founding, IYF has established partnerships in Australia, Ecuador, Germany, Ireland, the Philippines, Poland, Slovakia, southern Africa, and Thailand.

The establishment of a national or regional partnership is preceded by extensive in-country research and consultation carried out by international and local experts. In 1993, IYF began exploring options to work in the Republic of Ireland. Researcher and writer Brian Harvey was commissioned by IYF to conduct the following study on the situation of children and youth in the country.

The report framework has been designed by IYF to provide an overview of issues affecting young people and the cultural and environmental factors which have an impact on their welfare. It provides an overview of the situation of the nation’s children and youth; existing policies and programs serving them; the key business, political and NGO leaders concerned about them; the experiences of local and international donors working in the country; and potential risks, obstacles and opportunities. Research was carried out through the collection, study and analysis of existing data, information and documentation on the situation of children and young people, and through 25 interviews with key public and private leaders and representatives of non-governmental organizations.

The study addresses key issues affecting children and young people, including unemployment, involuntary emigration, child poverty, unequal access to education and the lack of sufficient, appropriate services for young people and children at risk (e.g., homeless young people, young offenders, children in residential care, victims of sexual abuse). A brief summary follows:

Poverty—Child poverty has risen dramatically over the last two decades. The proportion of children in families below the poverty line rose from 16 percent in 1973 to 26 percent in 1986. While the growth in child poverty is attributed to a number of factors, chief among these is increasing unemployment.

Youth Unemployment—The nation's unemployment rate, between 17 and 20 percent, has a dramatic impact, not only on how young people grow and develop, but on their own job prospects and hopes for the future. In mid-1994, some 27 percent of those registered as unemployed and available for work were under the age of 25.

Education—Despite a huge increase in the number of Irish youth participating in the nation's educational system over the past 30 years, problems of equity, access and educational disadvantage persist. The participation rate of 16-year-olds is 93 percent, falling to 75 percent for 17-year-olds, and 50 percent for 18-year-olds.

Emigration—Ireland is the only European Union country with significant out-migration. Irish emigrants are predominantly young. A 1988 analysis of emigrants found 70 percent to be between the ages of 15 and 24, with a median age of 20.3 years.

Youth Offenders—An estimated 38 percent of all crime in Ireland is committed by juveniles, ages 14 to 17. Crime rates among youth create negative impressions of young people at risk, leading to a vicious cycle of punishment, inappropriate response, and reoffending.

As a result of the study and consultations with a broad cross-section of children and youth experts and NGO leaders within the country, IYF elected in 1994 to enter into partnership with the Irish Youth Foundation (IrYF), a private body funding youth work in Ireland. In promoting positive youth develop, IrYF identifies, assesses and makes grants to existing programs, promotes increased philanthropic giving for Irish children and youth, and fosters increased learning and collaboration among Irish nongovernmental organizations serving children and youth. Through working in partnership, IYF and the Irish Youth Foundation aim to strengthen and expand existing programs and services for children and youth so that more young people may benefit.

We hope that you will find the information contained in this study useful and will join with us in efforts to promote the positive development of the nation's young people.