Laois youth activist urges Government and TD Brian Stanley 'invest in youth'

A young Laois woman who represents her county on the National Youth Council of Ireland, is calling for millions more in funding to properly support young people.

Anna McWey from Ballyroan spoke to Laois TD Brian Stanley at a special event in Buswell's Hotel Dublin to highlight the urgent need for increased Government funding for youth work services. 

“Effective democracy only works when everyone has the opportunity to participate and be heard. There is so much potential for areas around Ireland to grow and develop. By investing in youth work, young people will develop connections within their community and surrounding areas. Youth work is that opportunity outside of everyday norms. It has got me where I am today. Invest in youth today and reap the rewards of re-energised communities,”  Anna said at the event. 

Anna first expressed her hope to become a politician back in 2022 while a Leaving Cert student in Heywood CS. She is about to start her final year studying a Bachelor of Arts in Social, Political Community studies in St Patrick's College Carlow.

She spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live after the event in Dublin by the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), where local TDs across Ireland met Irish youth workers asking for an extra €21.3 million in Budget 2026.

"My journey with the NYCI began in 2023, but it's one of those organisations that has that gravitational pull. Once you are in with one program, it's nearly impossible not to join another. Since becoming a Local champion, I joined their EU Youth Dialogue Young Voices Core Group and represented them in Brussels at the Level Up conference.  

"The Local Champions program was where my journey with the National Youth Council started. The program creates a space for young people that benefited from youth work to give back to their constituency by arranging meetings with our local TDs and Senators to advocate for an increase in investment in Youth Work in the Annual Government Budget. NYCI provides us with incredible training sessions where we develop our storytelling skills and learn about how the political system functions," she explained.

Anna is involved in her local community, where she is a member of Ballyroan Community Development Steering Committee, working to install a Community Playground and Multipurpose Sports Area. She is on the committee of Ballyroan Bluestar’s Basketball club.

"In life timing is everything. I attended Heywood Community School from 2016 until 2022. Each class had a representative that would sit on the student council for one school year, I put my name down a few times and was chosen by my classmates in Fifth year. Little did they know how that changed my life. I went on to join Laois Comhairle na Nóg which was the best decision I ever made.   

"I am now involved with NYCI, Youth Work Ireland, Foróige, Spunout and Jigsaw each of which provide young people with opportunities to develop, meet new people, and create change through many different mechanisms such as consultations.

"I have previously participated in programs or events run by Laois Comhairle na Nóg, Eco-UNESCO, the National Youth Assembly of Ireland, Washington Ireland program Academy, Young Social Innovators, the National Economic Social Council, and Common Purpose Ireland.  

"Each of these organisations have provided me with incredible opportunities to learn and have my voice heard. I have been pushed outside of my comfort zone and enabled to travel to places by myself for conferences because I know that what I have to say is worthwhile.

"The biggest step I took was when I funded myself to go to the ECOSOC Youth forum in the United Nations Headquarters in New York in 2023 with no idea if anyone I knew would be there. I had never been to America before, so it was an interesting adventure," she said.

Anna stressed the shortage of funding given to youth work in Ireland.

"We are seeking a 20% increase in funding for existing Youth services. €2.1 million of which to be invested in expanding services to allow more young people like me to gain life-changing opportunities. Furthermore, we ask that €2 million of the €21.3 million to be put into capital funding for Youth Work Services in Ireland.  

"The skills that I have developed and the network I have created will benefit me for the rest of my life and every young person in Ireland deserves to have the same opportunity, it cannot be achieved without an increase in awareness and more accessibility to services.  

"It is crucial that young people get involved in their local community groups because discussions with a variety of perspectives will lead to the best outcome for all involved," Anna says.

Read also: Portlaoise teens to get €125,000 hangout but funding is lacking in Laois

A recent NYCI survey of its members found that almost 90% of youth organisations are worried about keeping services going, and 1 in 5 had to cut activities. Demand for youth work increased, but 75% said they didn’t have the resources to meet it. Staffing was a major issue too – 84% said costs were a top concern, and 3 in 4 had trouble filling vacant posts.  

Kathryn Walsh is Director of Policy and Advocacy at NYCI.

“Young people need us, and we are ready to rise to the challenge. With increased investment we can continue to strengthen our communities, offering young people the spaces and opportunities to build relationships, develop skills and increase their confidence. Youth work changes lives – and this campaign shows that people in every part of the country support it. We’re asking all TDs to back this funding call in Budget 2026.” 

Se more on NYCI’s #YouthWorkersChangeLives campaign on youth.ie