Fund youth work say Kilkenny group in open letter
Open letter to local TDs
A letter calling for increased investment in youth work has been signed by 95 people in the Carlow/ Kilkenny constituency.
The open letter to Deputy Catherine Callaghan, Deputy Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere, Deputy John McGuinness, Minister Jennifer Murnane O’Connor and Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan calls on them to support the call for an increased investment of €21.3m in youth work in Budget 2026.
The letter says youth work supports mental health, builds confidence and life skills, and creates safe offline spaces where young people are supported to grow and thrive. However, youth services are under pressure. The cost of living, rising demand, and years of underfunding are making it harder to keep services running.
Open Letter
Dear Deputy Catherine Callaghan, Deputy Peter Cleere, Deputy John McGuinness, Minister Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan
We are 95 of your constituents in Carlow–Kilkenny urging you to support the call for an increased investment of €21.3m in youth work in Budget 2026.
You might think only young people care about youth work, but we are voters across all ages who believe in the value of youth work to our community. Nationally, this letter has been signed by:
- 461 people aged 18-24
- 327 people aged 25-34
- 523 people aged 35-44
- 945 people aged 45-54
- 725 people aged 55-64
- 644 people aged 65+
Youth work supports mental health, builds confidence and life skills, and creates safe offline spaces where young people are supported to grow and thrive.
Right now, youth services are under real pressure. The cost of living, rising demand, and years of underfunding are making it harder to keep services running.
That’s why we have added our names to this localised version of the National Youth Council of Ireland’s All Ages for Youth Work campaign, calling for increased investment of €21.3m in Budget 2026 to protect existing services, expand access, and fund safe, well-equipped spaces.
As your constituents, we are asking you to support this call publicly, by raising this issue in the Dáil and with Minister McEntee as soon as possible, to ensure that we have the best chance at securing investment for youth work locally.
With the right support, we can meet young people’s needs in Carlow–Kilkenny today and build stronger communities across Ireland for us all.
Signed, your constituents: