A nationwide network of youth cafes forms the centrepiece of a new Government policy on developing recreational facilities for young people.
The need for improved recreational options has consistently been raised by teenagers in consultations and surveys by a range of bodies in recent years.
In particular, young people have said they want a place to "hang out" with friends that is safe and where they have a sense of ownership.
Minister for Children Brendan Smith said yesterday that the Government's new recreational policy for teenagers provided the basis upon which youth cafes could be developed nationwide.
However, funding and bureaucratic hurdles mean it could take several years before State-funded youth cafes are established in communities around the country.
"Young people have been asking for more alternatives to harmful behaviour such as underage drinking. I'm struck by the fact that it is young people themselves who have identified recreational opportunities as one of the most important quality-of-life issues in Ireland over the last number of years," Mr Smith said.
A number of youth cafes have already been established, such as The Gaf cafe in Galway and The Loft in Letterkenny.
They provide teenagers with a place to socialise, to get involved in activities such as DJ training and photography, and to access such services as sexual or mental health support.
The Minister said officials were examining various models of youth cafes and that a template could be ready soon for the development of such facilities in other communities.
On the issue of funding, Mr Smith said he hoped money would be set aside from next year onwards to help develop youth cafes in a structured way. "It will take several years, although I would like to make good progress next year. We want to target them at areas that are most in need, and where there are large numbers of young people. Other areas may already be well organised with youth clubs and other services already in place."
The implementation of the national recreational strategy - entitled Teenspace - will be driven by Government as well as city and county development boards.
Another issue addressed in the policy is improving access to facilities and addressing the cost of participating in various activities. In addition, it pledges to give young people a voice in the design, implementation and monitoring of recreational facilities.
The policy pledges to maximise recreational opportunities, in particular for young people who are marginalised, disadvantaged or who have a disability.
The plans were welcomed by many youth representatives around the country. Aoife Finnerty of Comhairle na nÓg - the young people's parliament - in Mayo, said: "We found a grave lack of recreation facilities in some areas especially for teenagers who are not sport orientated . . . I'm delighted that this policy deals with these issues."
Ruth French, community facilities manager with the Fettercairn Youth Horse Project, said it was crucial that services were tailored to the needs of young people through consultation.
