Youth Council for Northern Ireland

The Youth Council for Northern Ireland was established under the Youth Service (NI) Order 1989 and the legislation defines its functions as follows:

to advise the Department of Education, education and library boards and other bodies on the development of the Youth Service;

to encourage cross community activity by the Youth Service;

to encourage the provision of facilities for the Youth Service and facilities which are especially beneficial to young persons;

to encourage and assist the co-ordination and efficient use of the resources of the Youth Service;

to grant aid Regional Voluntary Youth Organisations towards their administration.

Regional Voluntary Youth Organisations provide support and training for many local youth groups. The voluntary organisations have created many cross sectoral links resulting in innovative practice and additional resources for youth work. Their well developed ethos has acted as an important motivator for the recruitment and commitment of volunteers.

Youth Council Membership

Membership of the Youth Council is determined by the Minister on an individual rather than a representational basis. The Youth Council was reconstituted from June 2003 for a three year period. It is managed by a Board consisting of 15 members, including a Chair (Mrs Maire Young) and Vice Chair (Mr Bertie Faulkner). The Chief Executive of the Council is Mr David Guilfoyle.