Clondalkin People before Profit Councillor Gino Kenny has hit out today about the cuts to Youth Services across Dublin. Between seven to ten percent has been cut from youth services budgets which will into effect immediately. The Ronanstown Youth Service which is based in Neilstown and caters for hundreds of young people from the locality will face a seven percent cut which will be implemented immediately. The 7% cut could mean anything from 50,000 to 70,000 in financial terms to the service for the year. This is already on top of budgetary cutbacks in the last two budgets which has had a detrimental effect on the services that the youth service can provide and utilise.

Speaking about the cuts Cllr Kenny said:

“This is tantamount to death by a thousand cuts. These cuts to essential services in working class communities particularly at this time when people need them the most is short sighted at the least and at the most generation vandalism. The knock on effect to the fabric of communities and society will not only have effect now but will have far worse consequences in the future. Services such as Ronanstown Youth Service and a plethora of others youth services around Dublin that are facing this new round of cuts are struggling as it is. This goes back to the economical narrative in which we live in that the people who didn’t start this financial crisis are the ones to pay for it. Not investing in our youth today is failing in our youth tomorrow. Cuts like this effect everybody in the community in which they serve, whether you use these services or not. We need to show the government that communities will resist these cuts.”

The Protest at CDYSB headquarters is tomorrow Friday 1st March at Morehampton Road at 10am