Two new youth cafés will be set up in Donegal after receiving funding boosts this week.
Youth services in Ballybofey and Gort a Choirce were each given a €50,000 sum to set up the new drop-in centres.
The youth cafés will provide young people in these areas with safe, alcohol free places to meet up with friends. They will also serve as information hubs to give out information on youth issues such as positive mental health and employment support.
The funding was allocated as part of a €1.5 million nationwide funding injection by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.
Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs stated “As Minister, I have had the opportunity to visit many recently opened Youth Cafés across the country.
“I have seen at first hand how these facilities can offer a safe, alcohol free, environment for young people to ‘hang out’. I have also been greatly impressed at the innovative partnership approach taken by many youth services in developing youth cafés as dynamic local hubs offering information and services to young people on key youth issues from positive mental health to employment support.”