The Union of Students in Ireland expect up to 5,000 students to join their national demonstration march this Wednesday, October, 19.

‘Margaret’ would only go out under cover of darkness when her son was living at home.

‘Jack’ says you can buy heroin in Cork faster “than you’d get a pizza”.

A secret millionaire has donated a record amount to a youth rap project and to help a suicide support group set up by the parents of a teenager who took her own life after being bullied.

The Data Protection Commissioner is being asked to examine permissions for the use of photographs of teenagers on Facebook.

We, the undersigned, call on Minister for Justice and Equality Alan Shatter and all Oireachtas members to support amending the Courts Bill 2013 to regulate the admission of the counselling notes of the child witness in a sexual violence criminal case.

Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald has said the national “ambivalence” to alcohol abuse must be removed given the level of damage being caused to young people.

Nearly 75% of teenagers say their parents have spoken to them about the families’ dwindling finances in the past year.

The Government’s budget cuts to post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses make a mockery of commitments to tackle youth unemployment, a youth work organisation has claimed.

The number of people on the dole for more than a year is at an all-time high, it emerged yesterday.

Youth Work Ireland is welcoming Government plans to take action on the low-cost selling of alcohol.

COMMUNITY crime diversion programmes dealt with 1,000 more children last year than they did in 2008.

The Government's Jobs Initiative, which targeted the tourism sector, is not working, according to Mark Fielding, chief executive of the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association.

THE sacrament of Confession will not be exempt from rules on mandatory reporting of child abuse, Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald has vehemently insisted.

The latest rise in unemployment proves the Government’s policy of cuts is not working, union leaders have warned.

THE live register showed an increase of 1,622 last month although the seasonally adjusted figure slightly decreased.

The number of people signing on for benefits increased by more than 5,700 in the last 12 months, official figures revealed today.

The unemployment rate jumped slightly to 13.4% at the end of last year, official figures revealed today.

The State training agency FAS is once again at the centre of controversy following revelations last night that FETAC has withheld the granting of all FAS course certificates pending the results of their national audit.

Thousands of students will be forced to drop out of college and emigrate if registration fees soared to €2,000 as proposed in the four-year rescue plan, it was claimed tonight.

Plans to revamp State training agency FÁS were today branded a spin job that avoids tackling the problems at the root of the organisation.

A BACKLOG of 60,000 Garda vetting applications for people working with children is keeping them out of work for longer and stalling youth projects across the country, it has been claimed.

Calls are being made for any certification doubts at FÁS to be corrected immediately following news yesterday that further irregularities have arisen at the state training agency.

Three major issues remain to be thrashed out before the Government can hold the long-awaited children’s rights referendum, it was revealed today.

A ban on ’head shop’ highs must be extended to the internet, campaigners claimed today.

CHILDREN attending special schools are missing twice as much time at school as other pupils – but staff feel greater medical support and links to home could help address the imbalance.

THE Government is drawing up laws to ban “legal high” products on sale in head shops throughout the country.

A GREY area surrounding the sale of substances that mimic the affects of cocaine or amphetamines has developed and given cause for concern.

More than 440,000 people are signing on for benefits, it emerged today.

Ireland's unemployment rate has now hit over 440,000.

THE EU will release funds early for retraining and upskilling Irish people unemployed as a result of the economic crisis, a delegation of training and employment bodies has been told.

The number of people claiming jobless benefits jumped by 71% last year and the total is set to breach the 300,000 barrier in coming weeks, alarming figures showed today.

VULNERABLE children could be put in danger because the Government is backtracking on a constitutional amendment ensuring their rights, Fine Gael warned last night.

MORE juvenile liaison officers and better mental health and resource facilities are needed to tackle growing youth crime, according to a leading lobby group.

THERE are almost 4,300 off-licences in the country — with almost 650 premises opening in the last two years alone.

A LEADING youth organisation yesterday called on the Irish Human Rights Commission to closely monitor the first application for an antisocial behaviour order (Asbo) for a child.

Youth Work Ireland is welcoming Government promises to tackle the price and availability of alcohol.

A leading youth organisation is warning employers against ripping off young employees this Christmas.

A leading youth group is raising questions about the legality of the mosquito device designed to prevent loitering by teenagers.

Youth workers are today criticising the alcohol industry's voluntary advertising code, saying it is too weak and is not being fully adhered to.

MEASURES to make maths more interesting for Leaving Certificate students will be in place within two years, Education Minister Mary Hanafin insisted yesterday.

A leading youth organisation has called on the Government to raise taxes on alcohol in an effort to cut alcohol abuse.

The country’s leading youth organisation has called on Minister for Education Mary Hanafin to take on board the views of teenagers before reforming the Leaving Certificate.