€150K Has Been Announced To Support Youth Diversion Projects in County Kildare

Wednesday, 22 June 2022 11:51

By Caoimhe Harney

YDPs engage with young people through a range of supports, including education, training and employment support.

Some €150,000 has been announced to support Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs) in Kildare.

€150,000 has been allocated to Newbridge in South Kildare and Celbridge.

€101,400 Kildare Town, Monasterevin, and Rathangan, which are the only Garda sub-districts in Kildare Division not serviced by a YDP.

The funding will go towards a boundary extension.

€48,862.00 has been sanctioned for family support services to ensure that young people and their families will have better access to supports and interventions.

YDPs engage with young people through a range of supports, including education, training and employment support, social enterprise initiatives, as well as personal development and supports such as mentoring, and personal development activities.

The funding, from the Department Of Justice, will go towards assisting projects with boundary extensions, appointing family support workers, working with harder-to-engage children and early intervention.

Kildare Fianna Fáil Senator Fiona O’Loughlin commented: “Many young people need support to ensure that they do not go down the wrong path. This funding is in conjunction with the publication of the Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027 last year, which provides a developmental framework to address key ongoing challenges.”

“The Youth Diversion Projects work to present options to support vulnerable young people for the benefit not only themselves, but their families and their communities.

“This funding is very welcome and I have no doubt will be vital in supporting local young people and their families," she added.