€15m rise in spending on youth work would help 32,000 youngsters, says Foróige

A music mash-up with Foróige, Music Generation Cork City, Cope and Voices of Cork, at Fitzgerald's Park in Cork City in 2019. In a pre-budget submission, the body, which works with almost 50,000 young people, said the youth work sector was under 'immense pressure'. File picture: Jim Coughlan

Ireland’s leading youth organisation has said that its proposals for a €15m increase in youth work expenditure in next week’s budget would provide help to almost 32,000 young people.

Foróige said this provision would only bring the youth work budget back to 2008 funding levels — which research found was the second-hardest area cut in the community and voluntary sector during the recession.